According to Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, the Open Championship at Royal Troon suffered the worst US television viewing figures in almost a decade as just 3.39 million tuned in to watch Xander Schauffele claim the Claret Jug.
It was the lowest audience recorded since Zach Johnson won at St. Andrews in 2015 in a rare Monday finish after weather wreaked havoc on Friday causing major delays, and a four percent decrease on last year’s viewing figures as Brian Harman tamed Hoylake.
This continues a worrying trend for golf viewership in the United States which has traditionally been the largest viewership market in the world. Less than 10 million tuned in to CBS for the final round of the Masters back in April – a 20 percent decrease on 2023 – and the Players Championship and other marquee PGA Tour events suffered a similar fate in the first half of the year.
The trend was bucked at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open, however, as there was a 10 percent increase on 2023 figures for the PGA Championship where Schauffele broke his major duck and beat Bryson DeChambeau by one and then DeChambeau’s showdown with Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst attracted the highest audience for NBC in 11 years.
There clear common denominator at the PGA Championship and US Opens, of course, was DeChambeau who has become one of the game’s box office stars, and McIlroy has long been a big television draw all over the world.
DeChambeau has also attracted a huge YouTube following and his collaboration with Donald Trump in his ‘Breaking 50’ series has amassed almost 4 million views in its first 20 hours online.
Although the former United States President, current Presidential candidate and recent assassination attempt survivor may have been a significant contributor to the YouTube views.
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