The debut of a new tournament could not boost the PGA Tour from its TV ratings doldrums.
Final round coverage of The Greenbrier Classic drew a 1.2 final rating and 1.677 million viewers on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 68% in ratings and 69% in viewership from the final round of last year’s Buick Open (3.7, 5.432 mil), won by Tiger Woods.
This marks the third straight non-Major to draw just a 1.2 rating for final round coverage, along with the RBC Canadian Open and the John Deere Classic.
Saturday’s third round action drew a 1.0 and 1.348 million viewers, down 52% and 54%, respectively, from last year’s comparable Buick Open telecast (2.1, 2.951 mil).
Final ratings and viewership from the 2008 Buick Open were not immediately available.
Excluding majors, only seven of the 52 PGA Tour telecasts on broadcast this year have drawn at least a 2.0 rating — the final round of the Shell Houston Open (2.0), the finals of the Accenture Match Play Championship (2.1), the final rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open, The Memorial and the Quail Hollow Championship (2.2 each) and the third and final rounds of The Players Championship (2.3 and 3.0, respectively).
