Ratings Breakdown: "It’s not like golf had Shaun Micheel, Steve Jones, and Rich Beem win majors"
/Matt Yoder analyzes the lousy year in majors and pretty much concludes that the blowout scenarios at the last two were to blame, but he also makes the point that surely is on the minds of many: well known rising stars were apart of these majors and that didn't translate to any kind of neutralizing effect.
I still say the telecasts are getting too long and perhaps we, the golf media, have dwelt too much on Tiger and Phil, but still, Yoder's point is a fair one...
Nobody gets excited to watch a blowout, especially in golf. In that respect, perhaps the ratings for this year’s US Open and British Open are outliers.
What should worry the sport though is that this year’s major champions are supposed to be the elite golfers that make up the post-Tiger generation. Bubba Watson won his second Masters in a dual with young phenom Jordan Spieth and very few seemed to care. Martin Kaymer’s dominance didn’t move the needle at all. Rory McIlroy is supposed to be the “next big thing” and his victory failed to captivate a wide audience in the same way Woods and Nicklaus did. (And yes, he’s joined that kind of company with his third major victory at 25 years old.)
It’s not like golf had Shaun Micheel, Steve Jones, and Rich Beem win majors this year.