The US Open 2023 had some of its best ratings in years this week and it should give the PGA Tour hope that there is a profitable life after legend Tiger Woods.
Even now at 47 years old, Tiger Woods remains the most famous and arguably still the most popular player in golf. However, that is not very beneficial for the PGA Tour. With his game on a very steep decline due to age and injuries, he is no longer a relevant star in the sport.
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This is why it is unsurprising that the ratings for PGA Tour events and majors have declined alongside Woods’ relevancy at the top of the sport. That reduction in popularity for circuits like the PGA Tour has worried their top leaders and had a small influence on their shocking decision to merge with top rival LIV Golf earlier this month.
However, it seems the 2023 US Open has delivered reason for hope that the sport can still grab the attention of diehard and casual fans alike. It was reported this week that the event averaged 3.4 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network. It is the best average number the tournament has had in four years.
US Open 2023 peaked with over 10 million viewers for final round
Yet, the biggest notable from the ratings were the numbers for the final round on Sunday. The event from the Los Angeles Country Club garnered an average of 8.8 million sets of eyeballs for the final round and peaked at over 10 million viewers between 9:30 PM and 9:45 PM ET as Wyndham Clark solidified his tourney win.
Final-round coverage on NBC, Peacock, and NBC Sports Digital averaged 6.2 million viewers, which was also the best number since 2019.
Next PGA Tour event: Travellers Championship, June 22 to 25
The PGA Tour and the sport in general need to rely less on occasional appearances from Tiger Woods — who did not compete at the US Open. So, for an event that saw a lesser-known name like Clark win to get strong numbers late is a great sign and maybe more reason for the industry to have more big tournaments that end at a later time on the east coast.
That was a rarity that occurred on Sunday and surely had a major effect on the ratings during a slow time on the sports schedule.