Steph On Tiger: "He made me want to watch every single shot of every single tournament he played."

As Kyle Porter notes at CBSSports.com, the Players ratings news seemed conveniently timed with Steph Curry's comment to David Feherty that Tiger Woods inspired him not just as a golfer, but as an athlete.

"He was a ground-breaker obviously. For me when I was watching him, he made me want to watch every single shot of every single tournament he played."

And isn't this ultimately at the heart of why it's so hard to pinpoint the sagging numbers in pro golf?

There is no one like Tiger, except Phil at his best, who exudes a must-see quality due to their ability to surprise, excite and awe.

There are other factors to the recent ratings drop, from the presidential campaign, to the daily dramas in Washington, to cord cutting. The absense of mega-star power is one thing. But more than anything, the absense of players with an indefinable crossover intangible is dragging the numbers down. As the kids like to say, it is what it is.

The full clip: