Even without the biggest draw in the sport, golf’s ‘fifth major’ finished with ratings virtually unchanged from last year.
The final round of The Players Championship drew a 3.4 overnight rating on NBC Sunday afternoon, down only 8% from last year. The 3.4 is the highest overnight for a non-major tournament in which Tiger Woods did not participate since last year’s Nissan Open.
After ratings for the final round of the Wachovia Championship fell 53% from last year, presumably thanks to Woods’ lack of involvement, it seemed likely that ratings for the TPC would fall considerably.
The mere 8% drop may be an indication that golf can survive without Woods — at least for the biggest events.
