Fans <3 Tiger
There are two — maybe three or four — players that move the needle: Tiger Woods, John Daly, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy. This has been my conclusion from the sizes of galleries I’ve witnessed at tournaments and from the numbers (traffic) I receive on my site in response to posts on these individuals.
So it’s no surprise that CBS ratings for the final round of the AT&T National increased by 188% compared to last year — Tiger didn’t play in ’11 due to injury. The media blast via CBS Sports:
CBS Sports’ final-round coverage of the AT&T NATIONAL on Sunday, July 1 (3:00-6:45 PM, ET), which saw Tiger Woods win his third PGA TOUR event this season and pass Jack Nicklaus with 74 PGA TOUR wins, delivered an average overnight household rating/share of 4.6/10, up 188% from last year’s 1.6/4 in the metered markets. (Note: Ratings for Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Columbus are excluded due to severe weather).
This year’s rating tied with 2009 as the highest rating for the final-round since the tournament debuted in 2007.
Regarding the mention of John Daly above, I know what you’re thinking — John Daly?!? Who cares about that chump?? Well, actually, *a lot* of people. If you’ve ever been to a PGA Tour event, he has the largest galleries, second to Tiger and Phil, and perhaps the largest if the Big Two aren’t playing. No joke. Last year at the Travelers Championship, Daly was out of contention in the second (or maybe the third round, I can’t remember), but he had at least 200 fans following him and living and dying by his every shot.
When Daly is in the news and I post about it, it’s definitely the most read of the day. Heck, maybe even the week if Tiger isn’t playing.
And the biggest draw of all? Tiger and Daly in the same item — Exhibit A at the Open Championship in 2010.
I had over 200,000 hits that day if I recall correctly and my site crashed. In fact, it caused problems for other sites that are hosted by my server. Whoops!
But back to Tiger and Sunday’s ratings: Did you watch the telecast? Are you more likely to tune in when Tiger is in contention?
(Getty Images/Rob Carr)
Just curious how they know who “tuned in” and who was surfing channels and stopped for a second. I’m sure there were lots of people tuned in, however, in this town, virtually no one tuned in… It wasn’t even on at our CC! Must have been the heat! People around here got turned off when we didn’t get to watch the whole tournament when Tiger played… It was always here’s tiger walking to his next shot, here’s tiger drinking water, here’s tiger picking his nose, here’s tiger in the middle of the pack missing another 4 footer… Don’t know what tiger’s problem is today, but we are going to watch his every move even though there are 125 other professionals playing some awesome golf.
Personally I’m not a big fan of his, but he is good for the game, I just wish they would find a happy medium with their coverage…
@2balls…. I don’t know what town you live in — but how do you know that “virtually no one tuned in…” in your little town.
Oh and if the public is tuning in to see Tiger the networks should show Tiger.
2 balls, it seems to me that someone that belongs to a CC should have some idea of how tv ratings work and the fact that they’ve been around for quite some time.
But then again, the fact that your CC doesn’t even have PGA golf on makes me feel like it’s a farm track and that your entire comment is disqualified.
TV golf coverage has never been particularly equitable. I remember televised events during the Nicklaus’ years when you never saw his playing partner hit a single shot on camera.
I normally watch no matter who is contending but I definitely tune in with greater interest when Tiger is in the mix.
Most sports are about the star players. I’m a huge golf fan and love the sport, but unless I have nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon if Tiger isn’t playing or at least 6 or 8 out of the Top 10 in the FEC or World Rankings aren’t at a tourney then I (and lots of golf fans aren’t watching).
We want to see compelling and talented golf, Tiger, Rory, Phil, Bubba are about it. On a second tier, Kuchar, Mahan, Fowler, and Stricker, G-Mac ??
Point is that there is a huge drop off from the top 50 or 10 guys, and it most of them aren’t there, then we ain’t watching, I’d rather mow the pasture.
You mentioned it on twitter earlier – players being independent contractors choose their own schedules – and the invites, WGCs and bigger tourneys and majors are the draws for ratings….so players can almost dictate what tourneys are important and what aren’t. I’m happy for Stricker to win his 800Gs (about 300k less than normal tourney) at the John Deere, but I know that nobody is playing it, its in Wisconsin, and most of the good players have already headed over to warm up by playing it down in links golf. Just one example.
However there is good money to be made in the lesser tournaments where the top 10 guys aren’t usually going to play. Dufner got hot on the PGA mini tour of non popular tour stops and has 4 million in the bank, good for him, he knows his role. He’s not a star, he’s boring, but he’s getting paid, and you got to admire the strategy !
Tiger is also living history. Once he passed Arnie with majors and was more than halfway to Jack, especially with the way that he was winning, it became a chance to watch something to know that you were going to tell your kids that you saw it and were part of that generation. From a historical context, he moves the needle also.
You know that if Tiger played in the era of Arnie, Jack and Tom he would have had 8 or nine majors and Jack would have had 7 or 8 less. If Phil played in that era, he might have 1. Back then was the time of a FEW alpha dogs, right now, there is just one.
**I think Rory might have more talent than Tiger, but about 35 percent the desire/work ethic… Not unlike a MJ and Lebron scenario. Lebron has more talent and bigger frame than MJ, but MJ’s desire to win/work ethic was off the charts. Thats why Lebron isn’t winning 6, and Rory isn’t winning 14 (or 18). I put asterisks to show that if Rory could focus more on golf, he could get to 10 – 12.
On Tiger – Rory talent, Tiger much better putter now last, last yr, and at Rory’s age, then Rory has ever been. Tiger also has more shots. Rory might improve.
Oh and the talent today is much deeper than the talent in Arnie/Jack’s ere, plus technology has leveled the playing field. It was much easier for Arnie/Jack to separate themselves, esp in the harder events. Much, much harder now, and Phil still has more wins than Watson.
The John Deere is not in Wisconsin. It is in the Quad Cities – Iowa/Illinois on the Illinois side.
Sorry but Tiger gets his majors no matter what era or solar system….There are a few alpha dogs but Tiger is that much better.
Also not buying the Rory has more talent or because Lebron is bigger ans has more talent. To say anyone is more talented than the best two ever to play their respective sports is crazy.
No way Rory gets 10-12 no matter how focused he is now that Tiger is playing like himself.
@Trevor Moron … You say that Rory might have more talent than Tiger…. exactly what d you based this on. Any objective comparison between Tiger and Rory would not put Rory in the same class as Tiger.
Tiger as an amateur dominated like no other golfer in the history of the game. Rory did nothing exceptional as an amateur. Tiger as a pro has a winning precentage of over 27% — Rory can barely make the cut these days.
Tiger as always made clutch shots and putts in critical moments. Rory has a history of choking at critical moments.
So tell me how does Rory have more talent than Tiger?
trevor..short and sweet dude. let me show you how. Tiger + Ratings = Win.
All due respect to Tiger. Bo Van Pelt wanted that 2nd place money…he simply ‘cracked’ and took home $700K. I hate being cynical….majority of guys on Tour are about the money.. not the Wins. Cracking top 50 and top 20 Majors is where most heads are at.
Bo really didn’t crack. He got out played by Tiger but his final round was one that should have won him the tourney.
The whole Tiger mystic is just the fact that Tiger can focus on playing the round with large moving galleries with cameras going off. Other guys can’t deal with it.
I agree with Walt. I usually watch the tourney no matter what, but if Tiger’s in contention I will watch more intently. Same with Rory, Rickie, Fred Couples the golfers I root for the most
Randy,
Van Pelt played well until his truly ugly 16th. A six-iron and he couldn’t put it in the center of the green. A wedge in greenside grass and he couldn’t move it 15 feet.
Agreed 16 was a mess but he also got some breaks earlier in the round. Over the course of a round those things tend to even out.
I think it is a disservice to Bo to say he collapsed under pressure when he played good enough to win except the greatest player ever was on the course.
It is like saying Karl Malone and John Stocken collapsed against the Bulls. They just were playing against the GOAT.
How is talent measured in a golfer.It is not only the ability to hit the ball. You have to make the pressure puts, hit the correct shots under pressure, manage your game around the course in rain, wind ,heat or sun, or noise.Ability to concentrate and focus for 4 days. Then these translate in wins. In comparing MCIlroy with Woods for the first 5 years of their career, there is no comparison. Now it can be said that MCIlroy has the potential to be great, perhaps Mickelson great. Only time will bear this out.
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