While the golf authorities have been entangled in solving the PGA Tour-LIV Golf feud for the last two years, the viewership numbers kept declining for the PGA Tour events. This is a crucial stage that has concerned Rory McIlroy lately and he went on to raise eyebrows about the same on Wednesday in an interview.
McIlroy stated how fans have become disengaged with the sport and the latest viewership data is quite alarming. According to data, one out of every five fans has shut off their TVs. Reflecting on the same, he spoken his heart out and expressed genuine fear for the state of the sport.
Rory McIlroy Concerned About The PGA Tour Viewership Decline And Disengagement Of Fans From The Sport
The four-time major winner talked about how the viewership numbers have gone down by 20 percent, which is a concerning aspect for the long-term stability of the sport. He also talked about how the LIV numbers are great in this regard. But the main focus shouldn’t be who’s greater than whom, but what will keep the fans hooked. As of now, the fans are fed up with the fight and want to see an end to the chaos.
“I know this isn’t a be-all, end-all, but if you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20 percent across the board…That’s a fifth. That’s big. I would say the numbers on LIV aren’t great either in terms of the people tuning in. I just think with the fighting and everything that’s went on over the past couple years, people are just getting really fatigued of it and it’s turning people off men’s professional golf, and that’s not a good thing for anyone.”
Then, he continued about how he’ll keep an eye on the TV ratings of the majors and see if there’s any improvement.
“It’s going to be really interesting to see how the four major championships do, or even the three because put Augusta aside, I think that sort of lives in its own world…It will be really interesting to see how the major championship numbers fare compared to the other bigger events because there’s an argument to be made if the numbers are better and you’ve got all the best players in the world playing.”
The situation can only be helped by allowing the world’s best players to perform regularly. But that’s not possible given the current circumstances and constant LIV defections by top players. Thus, only a settlement between the two leagues can serve as a redemption for the present crisis.
