Rory McIlroy’s bleak prediction is proving right as golf fans begin to walk out
Rory McIlroy warned earlier this year that golf fans were being ‘turned off’ by the sport – and recent TV viewing figures have shown he was right to be concerned
Rory McIlroy’s earlier comments about dwindling golf TV viewership have been validated, as recent weeks have seen a significant drop in the sport’s viewing figures. The Northern Irish golfer had previously voiced his concerns about the decreasing number of spectators.
The golfing world has been split in recent years due to the introduction of LIV Golf, which was launched in October 2021.
As per the Sports Business Journal, the PGA Tour averaged 2.2 million viewers for its Sunday broadcasts in 2024 when Majors were excluded. This represents a 19 percent decrease from the 2.7 million viewers that the same slot attracted in 2023.
On Saturdays, the Tour drew in 1.5 million viewers, marking a 17 percent drop from the 1.8 million people who tuned in the previous year, reports the Express.
The Northern Irish golfer had previously voiced his concerns about the decreasing number of spectators (
Several factors contributed to the decline in viewership, including clashes with NFL coverage and poor weather conditions affecting several tournaments.
However, another possible reason could be the absence of big names like Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Phil Mickelson from the PGA Tour due to their association with LIV Golf. Additionally, fans may be growing weary of the ongoing dispute between the two Tours.
McIlroy, who formerly served on the PGA Tour’s policy board before stepping down in November 2023, had addressed the issue of golf’s declining viewership earlier this year.
The four-time Major champion remarked: “I would say the numbers on LIV aren’t great either in terms of the people tuning in.”
He expressed concern about golf’s image: “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.”
He pointed out: “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.”
Regarding viewership, he elaborated: “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, then there’s an argument to say, ‘Okay, we need to get this thing back together’.”
But he also considered another scenario: “But on the flip side, if the numbers aren’t as good, it’s an argument to still say we need to put everyone back together because people are losing interest in the game even if they don’t want to tune in to the four Major championships.”
Reflecting on the state of the sport, he concluded: “Like that to me is not… That’s where I said like things need a correction and things are unsustainable.”