PGA Championship sees slight tick down for Scheffler’s blowout win

A finish that was all but predetermined for much of the back-9 led to a slight downward trend in PGA Championship ratings on Sunday.

Scottie Scheffler’s commanding five-stroke win averaged 4.76 million viewers during Sunday’s final round on CBS, down 4% versus Xander Shauffele’s one-stroke win over Bryson DeChambeau last year (4.96 million viewers). Viewership was up 5% versus 2023 when Brooks Koepka won over Viktor Hovland and Scheffler (4.52 million viewers).

For the second consecutive year, the final round competed head-to-head with an NBA playoff Game 7, this year losing out to the Nuggets-Thunder game on ABC which drew 6.34 million viewers. NBA competition has been a frequent obstacle for the PGA Championship since moving from August to May in 2019.

Third round coverage on Saturday was similarly down, averaging 3.1 million viewers on CBS, a 12% decline from one year ago. All four rounds of PGA Championship coverage this year (two on ESPN and two on CBS) finished with year-over-year declines.

Part of that can be attributed to an abnormal amount of drama during last year’s tournament caused by Scheffler’s arrest prior to the second round of competition. That type of story has the ability to breakthrough into mainstream discussion, thereby driving more viewership. Also going for last year’s event was Tiger Woods’ participation during the first and second rounds.

Despite a lackluster PGA Championship audience, CBS’s golf viewership has trended up overall this season. The network has increased its audience by 13% year-over-year, averaging 3.64 million viewers per window.