Some Say Scottie Is Boring (The Open’s TV Ratings Disagree)

I’ve become a Scottie Scheffler fan.

To my surprise, that doesn’t seem to be the popular opinion. As dominant as he’s been, a lot of golf fans—especially the ones lurking in the comments section—seem over it.

During the final round of the 2025 Open Championship, I scrolled through social media while watching Scottie put on a clinic at Royal Portrush. The score wasn’t close. The tournament wasn’t in question.

But this is some of what I was reading:

“Watching this man play is like watching paint dry.”
“Enough with Bennett Scheffler. We get it. The guy’s a dad.”
“Somebody who actually cares about the game should win.”

And, for a second, I wondered if this is how most people see Scheffler now.

Because I don’t.

The humble dominator

What I see is a guy who grew up humble, keeps his circle tight, works like a machine and genuinely loves the game. I told my kids last weekend, “What you’re seeing right now is starting to feel like what it was like watching Tiger when I was growing up. You might not see this again.”

There’s nothing forced about Scheffler. No unnecessary drama (yet). Just consistent, precise, ruthless golf.

Open Championship TV ratings

People can say what they want but a great place to check in and see engagement is to look at the television ratings. Here’s what the broadcast numbers showed for The Open:

• NBC’s Sunday coverage averaged 4.1 million viewers during the final round.
• That number is up 21 percent from last year’s Open Championship.
• Peak viewership hit 6.1 million between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m. ET on Sunday.
• Over the weekend, NBC and Peacock averaged 3.6 million viewers, a 24-percent increase compared to 2024.

Those are the highest Open Championship numbers since 2022 at St Andrews.

And this year? It wasn’t even close. Scheffler had a multi-shot lead the entire final round. There was no Sunday charge, no playoff tension—just one guy playing better than everybody else.

People were still watching.

So, what does that say?

It says that people still tune in to watch greatness, even when it seems inevitable. It says that dominance, even without drama, still sells. It also says that, despite all the complaints, Scottie Scheffler has become one of the most powerful draws in golf.

Sure, some will keep calling him boring. That’s fine. But the numbers don’t lie.

Now the question is: Has Scheffler already peaked or are we just seeing the beginning?

Top Photo Caption: Scottie Scheffler celebrates with his son, Bennett, after winning The Open. (GETTY IMAGES/Christian Petersen)