After His Warning Went Unheard, Rory McIlroy Steadies Sinking PGA Tour Ship With Own Hands

The PGA Tour is facing an unprecedented downward spiral in terms of its viewership count. As its long, impending merger with the PIF and recurrent calls for unification by Rory McIlroy struggle to conclude, the fans seem to lose their patience. So much so that the global golf proponent had no options left but to take matters into his own hands.

The Northern Irishman’s appearance on Zurich Classic’s final day somewhat helped the drowning TV ratings. Not only did he play unforgettable golf in the final round and clinch the 25th PGA Tour victory, but his performance was so good that it skyrocketed the previously falling broadcast numbers.

His gameplay helped the event reach record-breaking numbers. The final round of the only sanctioned team event of the PGA Tour saw a total of “1.852 million viewers on CBS, up 26% from last year (1.470 million).” This could mostly be because of his and Shane Lowry’s stellar playoff finish in the final round.

Not only did the numbers break last year’s record, they even helped the event become the most-watched final round since 2021, placing it as the second-best final round played since 2015 in terms of coverage numbers. Truly, then, McIlroy did some voodoo to help the sinking ship of the PGA Tour rise to viewership epochs.

Before McIlroy took charge, the sounds of success were not the case throughout the week. Day 1 of the Zurich Classic saw 1.470 million viewers on CBS, which was a downgrade from the 1.801 million viewers the event received last year. The following days followed an almost similar symphony until McIlroy avenged the TV ratings of the event.

Previously, the Nothern Irishman had warned the Tour that a further delay in finalizing the deal with PIF and getting the best talent back in a unified space might be the death of the TV ratings as we know it.  The concerned golfer pointed out, “I think fans are getting fatigued of it, and I think the more and more we go down this route, the more people are just going to tune in four times a year [for the major championships], which is no good for anyone — no good for golf. That just can’t happen, so we need to figure it out.”

The Irish golfer suggested that the Tour “need to figure out a way to unify the game, get everyone back together and all move forward. That’s easier said than done, but I think that would be the best for all of us.” His please were not actively heard, and hence he did what he had to do!

The LIV Golf Adelaide was initially taking charge of setting never-seen-before records in its history, while the Tour’s event based at the TPC in Louisiana was sulking. The event in Adelaide saw a shocking 94,000 spectators over three days. As a result of the remarkable feat, the LIV Golf Commissioner sure had a few things to say!

Greg Norman’s pitiful prophecy for the PGA Tour

An overly joyous Greg Norman said, “Vindication is not the right word. It’s the ignorance of others who simply didn’t understand what we were trying to do. I actually feel sorry for them because they now see the true value of LIV Golf and want to be a part of it.” 

His critique for those who did not believe in his products (a.k.a the PGA Tour and its allies) revolved around how the “people have spoken.” Norman mentioned to Australian Golf Digest “LIV Adelaide shows the people want to watch LIV over the PGA…numbers don’t lie, and LIV Adelaide got 3x more viewers than this week’s Zurich Classic.” 

Even though the PGA Tour could make up for lost ground during the final round, thanks to Rory McIlroy. The rise in

criticism for the Tour’s existing broadcast experience in light of the rising love for LIV Golf surely remains a sign to take necessary action.