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 an enormous sigh of reduction.
Sunday’s remaining spherical telecast averaged 3.33 million viewers, making it the most-watched remaining spherical of any PGA Tour occasion courting 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 stress, understanding 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 couple of what I’d name cathedrals of golf: right here, Augusta, St Andrews clearly, perhaps a couple of extra you could possibly add in there,” McIlroy stated.
“I had a giant fats zero on all of these getting into right here. To knock one off at Pebble could be very cool. Yeah, I’m a giant historian of the sport and I bear in mind all of the championships which were performed right here, and so as to add my identify to that record is fairly cool.”
Golf followers all over the world acknowledge Pebble Seaside instantly, due to it being probably the most picturesque programs on the planet. It hosts the U.S. Open routinely and is a bucket record merchandise each golfer hopes to play sometime.
CBS producers and administrators additionally did a terrific job incorporating new expertise, corresponding to drone photographs, tracers, and different visuals, emphasizing Pebble Seaside’s distinctive character and sweetness. 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 have been getting 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 Taking part in By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
