Jon Rahm Eclipses Jake Knapp’s Mexico Open Triumph as PGA Tour Suffers Another Coverage Setback

If there’s one thing that has plagued Jay Monahan and his circuit, it is issues surrounding the coverage of the sport. Now, interestingly, a surprising revelation has gone ahead to bedevil the Mexico Open as well. Jake Knapp won the event, yet none other than Jon Rahm eclipsed him.

Josh Carpenter recently shared a tweet on his X handle (previously known as Twitter). It focused on how there has been a dip in viewers for the event held in Mexico, all the while drawing a parallel with the 2022 edition.

Jon Rahm inadvertently beats PGA Tour Pro Jake Knapp throw viewers

The recent event saw Knapp beat the field of 132 golfers with a scintillating figure of 19 under 265. However, when it came to viewership numbers, the tournament severely fell behind. How? The post shared on social media divulges how NBC drew 1.8 million viewers for the rookie’s win in the Mexico Open on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Carpenter also revealed that there were 0.48 million more people back in 2022, at 2.28 million. Moreover, he attributed the same to the presence of the Spanish professional who emerged victorious at the same with a score of 17-under, 267.

But then, what about 2023? Fascinatingly, the Mexico Open that took place last year witnessed around 2.3 million viewers tuning into CBS. What’s more, comparing this year’s competition to the same, it showcased a 23% decrease from the event that saw Tony Finau beat the field of golfers.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that the PGA Tour has witnessed issues pertaining to coverage. Even so, one can’t help but take a peek at the other instances when such a similar situation occurred, leading the community to take it out on the Monahan-led circuit.

The persistent issue of golf coverage for the PGA Tour

Over time, from the Hero World Challenge to the events on the 2024 calendar, the Tour has been the center of heavy criticism, especially with regard to the broadcast of the sport. During the first signature tournament of the year, many followers were visibly irritated and vocal about its coverage, owing to the portrayal of more commercials than golf shots during the same.

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Meanwhile, even a professional on the circuit, Collin Morikawa, shared his opinion on the need to bring about a change in broadcasting to make more people interested in the game of golf. “We need to make golf more intriguing to the viewers,” said the golfer before pointing out how other sports can see more gameplay as opposed to the sport of golf, all the while voicing how it needs to change.

Even players came forward to express their concerns regarding the same. Well, one can only hope everything gets better and the circuit can maintain its quality over time. Fingers crossed!

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