Record-High For Tiger’s Tour Championship Win

The culmination of the season’s dominant storyline, Tiger Woods‘ quest for his first victory since 2013, lifted Tour Championship ratings to a record-high.

Sunday’s final round of the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour season, earned a 3.7 rating and 5.89 million viewers on NBC — up 164% in ratings and 180% in viewership from last year (1.4, 2.10M) and up 131% and 132% respectively from 2016 (1.6, 2.54M).

Woods’ two-stroke victory, which peaked with 10.84 million viewers from 5:45-6 PM ET, ranks as the highest rated and most-watched Tour Championship telecast on record (dates back to 1991). The previous ratings record was a 3.6 in 1993. The event had not exceeded a 2.0 rating or three million viewers in the previous eight years.

It also ranks as the highest rated and most-watched FedEx Cup telecast on record (dates back to 2007). The previous highs were a 3.4 and 4.9 million for the final round at TPC Boston in 2007.

Compared to Woods’ previous victory at the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational, ratings increased 16% (from 3.2) and viewership 27% (from 4.63M).

For the season, Sunday’s telecast ranks sixth in ratings and viewership behind the third and final rounds of the Masters and the final rounds at the PGA Championship (5.4, 8.47M), Tampa Bay (4.4, 6.91M) and British Open (4.3, 6.48M). It would likely have ranked even higher if not for NFL competition.

Keep in mind NBC’s final round window was a major-length five hours. During the more traditional three-hour window from 3-6:15 PM ET, the network’s coverage had a 4.45 rating and 7.18 million viewers — trailing only the Masters and PGA Championship.

Excluding the Masters, the full telecast window ranks ninth among all golf telecasts since 2012, while the traditional three-hour window ranks fifth.

Third round action on Saturday pulled a 2.5 and 3.87 million, up 127% in ratings and 135% in viewership from last year (1.1, 1.65M) and up 178% and 196% respectively from 2016 (0.9, 1.31M). Until Sunday’s final round, it was the highest rated and most-watched round at the tournament since 2009 (3.0, 4.54M).

Saturday’s telecast was the fourth-most watched third round window this season behind the Masters, PGA Championship and Tampa Bay.

Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel pulled a 0.6 (+48%) and 903,000 (+53%) on Saturday and a 0.6 (+81%) and 817,000 (+79%) on Sunday. On Friday, the network’s second round coverage delivered 1.26 million — up 81% from last year (693K), up 116% from 2016 (581K) and the tournament’s largest cable audience in at least six years.

Woods held at least a share of the lead at the end of each round.

Largest PGA Tour Audiences, Past Five Years

Excluding the Masters; 2018 tournaments highlighted

[Numbers from NBC Sports, Nielsen via ShowBuzz Daily 9.25]