With Tiger Woods in his best position yet to end his five-year winless streak, Saturday’s Tour Championship ratings surged in the metered markets.
Saturday’s third round of the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour season, earned a 3.1 overnight rating on NBC — up 138% from last year (1.3) and up 158% from 2016 (1.2).
The 3.1 overnight is the highest for any round of the tournament since 2009, when the final round had a 3.3. That year, Phil Mickelson won the tournament and second-place finisher Woods won the FedEx Cup.
It also tied the tournament’s highest third round overnight in at least 20 years, matching 2003.
The telecast, which peaked at a 4.25 from 6:15-6:30 PM ET, delivered the fourth-highest third round overnight of the season. The Masters (5.7), PGA Championship (3.7) and Tampa Bay Championship (3.3) hold the top spots. Woods was in contention at the latter two tournaments.
Woods entered the weekend holding a share of the lead and took sole possession during Saturday’s play. At one point he led by five strokes. Woods has not won a PGA Tour event since 2013.
Head-to-head, NBC’s coverage trailed the competing Alabama-Texas A&M college football game on CBS (3.5) but topped all other college football games on Saturday.
Lead-in coverage on Golf Channel had a 0.75 overnight (+63%), a six-year high.
[Numbers from NBC Sports PR]
