Without Tiger Woods, ratings for golf’s third major fell by double digits.
ABC drew a 3.5 overnight rating for final round coverage of the British Open on Sunday, down 15% from a 4.1 last year, and off 30% from a 5.0 in 2006, the last time Woods won the event. The 3.5 overnight is the lowest for the final round of the British Open since at least 1998, and marks the only time during the past ten years the final round drew less than a 4.0 overnight.
Third round coverage fared better, as the 2.8 overnight on Saturday was actually up 4% from a 2.7 last year. Third and final round coverage of the Open drew the two the highest overnights of any sporting event for the weekend.
Overall, ABC averaged a 3.2 overnight rating for its two day coverage of the British Open, down 6% from ’07.
Overnight ratings for final round of British Open.
since 1998
3.5: Padraig Harrington (7/20/08, 8 AM ABC)
4.1: Padraig Harrington (7/22/07, 8 AM ABC)
5.0: Tiger Woods (7/23/06, 8 AM ABC)
5.0: Tiger Woods (7/17/05, 8 AM ABC)
4.6: Todd Hamilton (7/18/04, 8 AM ABC)
4.7: Ben Curtis (7/20/03, 8 AM ABC)
4.9: Ernie Els (7/21/02, 8 AM ABC)
4.6: David Duval (7/22/01, 8 AM ABC)
7.5: Tiger Woods (7/23/00, 9 AM ABC)
5.7: Paul Lawrie (7/18/99, 9 AM ABC)
5.8: Mark O’Meara (7/19/98, 9:30 AM ABC)
