Marc Leishman’s Favorite Golf Gambling Story: The International Hustle

The Action Network spoke with several of today’s top professional golfers to find out their favorite personal golf betting stories.

• Who: Marc Leishman
• When: About 15 years ago
• Where: Monroe, La.

When he was 19, Marc Leishman traveled from his home in tranquil Warrnambool, on the southwestern coast of Australia, to the American bayou for an amateur golf tournament. The story of his most memorable golf bet, though, has little to do with that event and everything to do with what occurred in the aftermath — when a local observer noticed his talent and decided to back the teenager in a big-money game.

“I wasn’t a professional yet. I was down there for a tournament and a guy had seen me play. He asked me if I wanted to play in a money game.

“I said, ‘No, I don’t have any money. I can’t play in a money game.’ So he said, ‘We’ll play with my money, you against two college kids.’ I was like, ‘So I can’t lose? Then I’m in.’

“He staked me. It was $500 a hole. We go to this local municipal course in Monroe. He says, ‘Go sit over there and don’t talk to anyone. I don’t want them to hear your accent.’

“We get out there and I’m like 6-under through six holes. I had two eagles. I’m just tearing 'em a new one, basically. Me versus these two college kids.

“This guy had a car waiting for me on the back of the 15th green to get me out of there. He said, ‘Don’t shake their hands. Just go. Because they’re majorly pissed off.’

“So I had to just jump in the car and go. They flipped me off.

“I saw this guy again about four or five days later. He handed me some cash. He won a lot. I might’ve gotten 10%. Maybe 500 bucks or so. But that was a lot of money for someone who didn’t have any.

“I can’t remember the college kids’ names. I remember the guy’s name, but I haven’t seen him since.”

Other golf gambling stories from the Tour

• Adam Scott's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: Fred Couples, Phil Ivey and $10K
• Tony Finau's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: A $500 Hole-In-One
• Justin Thomas' Favorite Golf Gambling Story: 36 Holes With Michael Jordan
• Paul Casey's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: A Winning Pitch vs. Lefty
• Marc Leishman's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: The International Hustle
• Rickie Fowler's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: 1-on-1 with Michael Jordan
• Zach Johnson's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: When Doubling Down Goes All Wrong
• Brendan Steele's Favorite Golf Gambling Story: Ratted Out for Winning Too Much