AP Photo/David J. Phillip
James Adducci says the $85,000 he put on Tiger Woods to win the Masters was the first bet he's ever made on sports.
- Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday, his fifth win at Augusta National and first major win since 2008.
- On the Tuesday before the Masters, James Adducci of Wisconsin placed an $85,000 bet on Woods to win at 14/1 odds.
- Adducci was in Las Vegas on Monday to cash his winning ticket, taking home $1.19 million.
- Adducci told reporters that it was the first bet he ever placed on sports.
- Read all of Business Insider's Masters coverage here.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
When Tiger Woods won the Masters on Sunday he made a lot of people happy, with friends, family, and fans all joining together to celebrate Woods' ascension back to the top of his sport.
But it's likely that nobody was happier with Woods' win than James Adducci from Wisconsin, who placed an $85,000 bet on Woods to win the Masters.
Read more: Gambler wins $1.19 million after placing $85,000 bet on Tiger Woods to win the Masters
Adducci placed his bet with William Hill US sportsbook at 14/1 odds, and when Woods went on to win, his ticket cashed for an impressive $1.19 million payday.
"If I saw Tiger, I would tell him that I understood the pressure he must be under, because I, for a moment in time, felt it too," Adducci told Darren Rovell of The Action Network.
On Monday, Adducci was in Las Vegas to cash his ticket at the William Hill Sports Book at SLS Casino. While speaking with reporters, he revealed some shocking news, claiming that this was the first bet he'd ever made on sports.
Speaking with Golf Digest's Stephen Hennessey, Adducci, a self-employed day-trader, said that he put together all the money he could afford to lose and made the decision to put it on Woods. "I just thought it was pre-destined for him to win," he told Hennessey.
Adducci says he was turned away from two casinos before William Hill decided to accept his action.
His faith in Woods came not just from his fine form, but the fact that Woods would be playing in front of his kids. "It wasn't about the stats for me," Adducci told Hennessey. "The fact that this was going to be his first major in front of his kids, I was convinced he would win."
Adducci also praised his wife for her understanding during what must have been a trying few days. "She said to me, 'I can't stop you from doing this, because if he wins, I'll never forgive myself.' She's a keeper."
You can read Hennessey's entire story on Adducci here.
- Read more Masters 2019:
Nike released a moving new ad to celebrate Tiger Woods victory at the Masters
Here is James Adducci cashing his 14 to 1 ticket on Tiger Woods win. Adducci says he's a stay at home stock broker. The Wisconsin man says this is the first bet he has ever made. @News3LV pic.twitter.com/xqyB646Tqm
- Antonio Castelan (@AntonioNews3LV) April 15, 2019