Justin Thomas poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Justin Thomas poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The next time you see a man curled up alone in the corner of a dark room weeping uncontrollably and cursing God, go up and ask if his name's Jordan Baker.
If it is, offer him a sympathetic hand on the shoulder, a kind word and walk away. You'll neverknow his pain, unless you too have been robbed of a $3.3 million payday.
Baker suffered the heartbreak of falling one multi-bet leg short of turning $3.30 into $3.3 million. And it's all pro golfer Rickie Fowler's fault.
American Justin Thomas won the PGA Championship on Monday (AEST) to claim the fourth and final major crown for 2017. His win confirmed Baker's heartbreak.
The Londoner - who is also a pro golfer - showed his remarkable insight into the game while predicting the winners of each of the four majors in 2017.
He chose wisely by putting money on Sergio Garcia to win the US Masters at odds of 40/1, Brooks Koepka to win the US Open at 80/1 and Thomas to win the PGA Championship at 35/1. But three out of four doesn't cut it, and Baker walked away $3.30 poorer than he was before he placed the bet.
After watching Garcia and Koepka lift the trophy in the year's first two majors, Baker would have been feeling optimistic. But any hopes he had of making it rain were crushed when Jordan Spieth collected a three-shot win over Matt Kuchar at Royal Birkdale. Baker had put money on Fowler to walk off the 18th green the winner at odds of 28/1, but the American finished 12 shots back from Spieth and tied for 22nd. So even as Thomas was marching to victory in Charlotte, Baker knew nothing could save him. But seeing the 24-year-old secure his first major victory only heaped tablespoons of salt onto an already rotting wound.
Baker said he'd be willing to forgive Fowler if he brought him along for a round at Augusta, home of the US Masters.
After Koepka's win in June, Baker was daring to dream about what his potential windfall would mean.
"I'd buy my mum a house, take dad on a golfing trip around the UK, buy myself a nice Ferrari and then take all the lads on holiday to Vegas," Baker told Golf Digest.
But now it's more likely he'll buy mum some flowers, take dad on a trip to the local putt-putt course, buy himself a used Fiat Cinquecento and take all the lads on holiday to Cornwall for the weekend. It's a cruel world.
