In a season of gains for the PGA Tour, the Bridgestone Invitational was one of a handful of tournaments to decline.
Final round coverage of the PGA/WGC Bridgestone Invitational earned a 2.7 overnight rating on CBS Sunday afternoon, down 10% from last year (3.0), down 29% from 2013 (3.8), and the tournament’s lowest final round overnight since 2012 (1.6).
Shane Lowry‘s win marked the first time since the St. Jude Classic in June that overnight ratings have declined for a third or final round PGA Tour telecast. Of the past 44 such telecasts — dating back to the Tampa Bay Championship in June — only eight have had declines.
Despite the drop, the 2.7 overnight was the highest of the weekend for a non-NFL sporting event, topping NASCAR on NBCSN (2.4). As one could expect, it was no match for the NFL Hall of Fame Game on NBC (6.9).
In other action, Saturday’s third round action drew a 1.9 overnight — even with last year and down 37% from 2013 (3.0).
(Wknd. numbers via ShowBuzz Daily)
