Just last year, Tiger Woods made headlines with his gritty return to the PGA Championship after a long three-year absence but ended up missing the cut. Even though he didn’t contend for the win, every swing, wince, and walk down the fairway had fans glued to their screens. Maybe that’s why the numbers last year were great. Unlike this year.
So we all know Woods has been fighting through another round of surgeries and setbacks. Last fall, he had a back procedure to ease the chronic pain that’s been haunting him for years. Just as fans were getting hopeful again, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon this year in March. ‘As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured. I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab. Thank you for all the support.’ Tiger posted on X. It’s sad, but he did not play the Masters and had to miss the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow as well. Now, it seems Woods’s absence has altered the whole vibe. We are not saying that the numbers are.
As per the latest reports, ESPN’s coverage of the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship drew 955,000 viewers, a whopping 15% drop from the 1,118,000 who tuned in for the same round in 2024. In 2024 as well, the viewership had witnessed an overall increase of 10% at Valhalla. One can argue it was the Woods effect! But is Woods’s absence the only reason numbers are low this year? Not really! Big names underperforming could also be behind this.
Golfers like McIlroy and defending champ Xander Schauffele faltered hard. Both of them were top favorites to win. “I want to still create a lot of other highlights and high points,” said Rory on Golf Channel when the tournament started, but it seems like his spirit has gone down, as he finished tied 62nd with rounds of 74 and 69, sitting at +1 overall. Xander Schauffele also tied 62nd, finished even par after rounds of 72 and 71. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth ended up missing the cut. JT had good momentum going on, having won the RBC Heritage just a couple of weeks ago, and Speith was eyeing a career grand slam.
One can assume that when these fan favorites aren’t playing their best, it takes the excitement out of the tournament, and that hits the ratings and the viewership. So, the drop in viewership is understandable given the circumstances.
And it’s not just the PGA Championship feeling the heat. The PGA Tour itself has been riding a rough wave when it comes to viewership.
PGA Tour declining viewership
Over the past year, ratings for several big-name PGA Tour events, even those featuring star-studded fields, have seen obvious dips. According to Sports Business Journal, the 2024 Valspar Championship, even with a thrilling finish and recognizable names like Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele in contention, the final round drew only 1.886 million viewers, a significant 27% drop from the previous year’s 2.594 million.
Several factors seem to be at play. The ongoing PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf rivalry has scattered the fanbase, with some viewers feeling fatigued by the off-course drama, and the absence of Woods can be an obvious reason. Golf still has its die-hard fans, but if the sport wants to regain its prime-time buzz, it’ll need big names playing at their best and some fresh excitement to pull viewers back in.
