“That’s the Case With All Sports” – Augusta Chairman Ridley Addresses Golf’s Divide Amid Excitement Ahead of 2024 Masters

Despite the rift in the golf world, the top golfers are excited about the Masters Tournament, as per Fred Ridley. He talks about how the Masters is one of the best tournaments and it caters to the fans with the best players in the world. 

Ridley said, “The best golf has to offer is on center stage…That is good for everyone, certainly players, but also our partners, volunteers, the Augusta community, and its many local charities, and especially our patrons and fans around the world.”

Then Ridley addressed the current divided nature of the game and bridging this gap is essential for men’s golf. “As solutions are pursued to bridge the current divide in men’s professional golf, I hope there will be a focus on these and the other stakeholders who are the fabric of tournament golf… It is this culture that makes golf the greatest game. That is our focus once again this week, and it will always be for many years to come.”

Ridley continued, in an interview, “But that’s the case with all sports. I will acknowledge that, if you look at the data this year, golf viewers are down linear television.”

Because of this constant rift, the viewership has gone down and he’s addressed how the fan views have declined with time. The issue is quite serious regarding the viewership drop and measurements should be taken for carrying golf in the future. It’s not Ridley who addressed this topic; previously, Rory McIlroy talked about it. 

Rory McIlroy is concerned about the viewership drop of the PGA Tour 

Fans are the main pillars of any sport and if they back out of watching the sport then there’s no point in holding an event. Such was the thought that must have struck Rory McIlroy as he witnessed the PGA Tour’s 20 percent viewership going down. He addressed how this can affect the long-term stability of the sport and how fans withdrawing can be a result of the ongoing feud between the PGA and the LIV. 

But McIlroy is hoping that the numbers will come back during the majors and as per Ridley, it’s very evident that the Masters’ excitement is already at its peak, which will bring more audience. Thus, it’s to see if Masters can become the redemption for this viewership problem. 

About the author

Suchita Chakraborty

Suchita Chakraborty is a senior golf writer at The SportsRush. She did her post-graduation at St. Xavier's University. For a year now, she has developed a riveting inclination toward golf, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being her top-tier motivational figures to indulge in the sport. She even lives by the words of the Hall of Famer, "You can always become better", which impels her to excel every day. Her strong suit in golf is covering the LPGA Tour, especially the nooks and crannies of the international event, the Solheim Cup. As a pastime amusement, Suchita also engages herself in reading about golf controversies. Her favorite pick is ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, which covers the PGA-LIV beef.

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