The PGA Championship wasn’t a nail-biter. In fact, Scottie Scheffler had the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow under control for most of Sunday afternoon. Typically, that causes viewers to turn off and fans switch off and switch to something more exciting.
Yet, CBS still averaged 4.76 million viewers during the final round broadcast.
Slight dip from 2024 but still a strong showing
CBS Sports confirmed Monday that viewership was down four percent compared to Xander Schauffele’s win in 2024. That was Xander’s first major and everyone was ready for him to finally pull it off.
However, Scheffler’s win at the PGA Championship was still up five percent from Brooks Koepka’s 2023 victory.
Was it too dominant?
With Scheffler holding a steady lead for much of the final round, the drama was limited. Jon Rahm briefly tied him at 10-under but that didn’t last long. Scheffler made birdie at No. 14, Rahm would soon find the water at No. 17 and the rest of the afternoon played out like a formality.
Scheffler’s dominance likely impacted the peak audience.
The takeaway for CBS
Even without a playoff or pressure-packed finish, fans showed up.
Scheffler’s performance may not have been edge-of-your-seat golf but just wait until he gets another one and tries to go for the career Grand Slam. For a broadcast without much suspense in the late going, pulling nearly five million viewers is a win.
Golf TV ratings have unexpectedly bounced back in 2025, buoyed by strong performances from Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and other top players.
Top Photo Caption: Scheffler took home the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. (GETTY IMAGES/Darren Carroll)
OpMan
1 year ago
The new Covid golfer generation of players and fans are helping the entire industry.
That’s the difference, compared to the lull years