Scores for PGA Tour telecasts in 2025 have been paltry at finest, persevering with a troubling development from the 2024 season that noticed year-to-year decreases throughout the board. However after seeing the scores from Rory McIlroy’s historic win at Pebble Seaside, executives at each the PGA Tour and CBS can breathe a large sigh of aid.
Sunday’s remaining spherical telecast averaged 3.33 million viewers, making it the most-watched remaining spherical of any PGA Tour occasion relationship to March 2024, when Scottie Scheffler stormed from behind to win The Gamers Championship. Protection peaked with almost 4 million viewers as McIlroy strolled down the 18th fairway with none strain, figuring out his twenty seventh profession PGA Tour title was already in hand.
McIlroy’s worldwide reputation clearly performed a task as he’s arguably the most well-liked participant on the planet not named Tiger Woods. Internet hosting a Signature Occasion at a prestigious course like Pebble Seaside helps too, which McIlroy alluded to on the CBS broadcast after his win.
“There’s a number of what I’d name cathedrals of golf: right here, Augusta, St Andrews clearly, possibly a number of extra you would add in there,” McIlroy mentioned.
“I had an enormous fats zero on all of these getting in right here. To knock one off at Pebble may be very cool. Yeah, I’m an enormous historian of the sport and I keep in mind all of the championships which were performed right here, and so as to add my title to that checklist is fairly cool.”
Golf followers around the globe acknowledge Pebble Seaside instantly, because of it being some of the picturesque programs on the planet. It hosts the U.S. Open routinely and is a bucket checklist merchandise each golfer hopes to play sometime.
CBS producers and administrators additionally did a terrific job incorporating new expertise, similar to drone photographs, tracers, and different visuals, emphasizing Pebble Seaside’s distinctive character and wonder. McIlroy’s tee shot on the par-5 14th and everybody’s approaches into the par-3 seventeenth come to thoughts.
On high of that, 45 of the highest 50 gamers within the Official World Golf Rankings competed this previous week. Scheffler, the present World No. 1, made his PGA Tour season debut — as did three-time main winner Jordan Spieth. Each had been coming back from damage, giving followers one more reason to tune in. It felt just like the unofficial begin to the PGA Tour season with all of the star-power competing.
Maybe the tour and CBS can proceed to trip the momentum at this week’s WM Phoenix Open.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
