Professional Golf 2024 & 2025

[Lord Tyrion]

Can I just ask how many people attend or tune into a golf event to watch a specific player?

Personally, I tend to watch based on the tournament rather than due to an individual. I will certainly avoid a day 4 if certain golfers are going to be shown a lot, Cantlay is an obvious one although other snails are equally on the ignore list.

I'm more inclined to watch if my favoured golfers are playing, certainly, although I won't turn on just to watch a specific player on day 1.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Personally, I tend to watch based on the tournament rather than due to an individual. I will certainly avoid a day 4 if certain golfers are going to be shown a lot, Cantlay is an obvious one although other snails are equally on the ignore list.

I'm more inclined to watch if my favoured golfers are playing, certainly, although I won't turn on just to watch a specific player on day 1.

We went to JCB a couple of years ago. Bryson wasn’t contending, and tbh was cutting a forlorn figure on the quieter areas of the course.

Most people attend (especially LIV events) for the experience and of course it helps if a high profile player is contending on Sunday but it’s not pivotal to the success of the event.

 

[D-S]

But Tiger isn’t playing.

Bryson is a draw, but any golf event is about the event more than an individual player, especially where LIV is concerned.

Anyway, he’s committed to LIV for 2026 - so he wont be playing on the PGAT until at least September 2027 according to the current (and probably subject to modification) PGAT rules.

That isn’t what you asked.
You asked “Can I just ask how many people attend or tune into a golf event to watch a specific player?” - I gave you an instance of a number of people tuning in to see a specific player.
If you want to name another particular player then please do.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Can I just ask how many people attend or tune into a golf event to watch a specific player?

Millions will tune in if Woods is playing , if the likes of Rory are playing some will also attend just because he is

 

[Depreston]

yeah that british masters that was at close house and Rory played i was buzzing to go watch him.

I also will be more inclined to watch the PGA Tour on a thursday/friday if Rory is in a featured group at a decent time to watch

 

[The Squirrel]

I’ll bet the viewing figures for Rory’s masters Sunday back 9 were off the charts better than most other years. I even remember the thread about how many people stayed up late for the drama. No way they’d have done that if it was for 2 random mid-rank PGA pros in the playoff who got hot that weekend.

The US networks had massively higher viewing figures on Sunday if Tiger was there. “The Tiger Effect” is easy to google. Often 100% higher than other years (which means tens of millions of extra viewers).

So anyone saying why they personally watch a tournament - that isn’t really relevant. It is a hard fact that tens of millions of people do tune in to see a big name with a compelling story who wouldn’t tune in otherwise.

 

[rulie]

One of our media people said that there were only two names that moved the needle on attendance and viewers - Tiger and Woods.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I’ll bet the viewing figures for Rory’s masters Sunday back 9 were off the charts better than most other years. I even remember the thread about how many people stayed up late for the drama. No way they’d have done that if it was for 2 random mid-rank PGA pros in the playoff who got hot that weekend.

The US networks had massively higher viewing figures on Sunday if Tiger was there. “The Tiger Effect” is easy to google. Often 100% higher than other years (which means tens of millions of extra viewers).

So anyone saying why they personally watch a tournament - that isn’t really relevant. It is a hard fact that tens of millions of people do tune in to see a big name with a compelling story who wouldn’t tune in otherwise.

Believe the figures for the final round was the most watched Masters final round since 2018

Also the most watched day in Sky Sports history

 

[Mel Smooth]

That isn’t what you asked.
You asked “Can I just ask how many people attend or tune into a golf event to watch a specific player?” - I gave you an instance of a number of people tuning in to see a specific player.
If you want to name another particular player then please do.

What I meant was Tiger isn't playing anymore, so the phenomenon that he held is over. There is no single player in the game now that would draw a huge following like Tiger could. Rory will to a degree, Bryson will to a degree, Rahm will to a degree, but if they aren't playing then an event isn't going to fail because of it.

 

[irip]

What I meant was Tiger isn't playing anymore, so the phenomenon that he held is over. There is no single player in the game now that would draw a huge following like Tiger could. Rory will to a degree, Bryson will to a degree, Rahm will to a degree, but if they aren't playing then an event isn't going to fail because of it.

I agree and most on here being golfers would watch the open anyway.

If Bryson was to rejoin the PGA though it would be the biggest loss that LIV could have. More to do with his influence via social media than his playing ability.

It would leave them short on top level golfers at the moment and if they do want to compete against the PGA tour then losing your top golfer to your rival is not going to be a good thing.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016922941603168573

The Ryder Cup is a huge deal for some of the players

 

[irip]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016922941603168573

The Ryder Cup is a huge deal for some of the players

I think Reed is good for the Ryder cup.
He plays the part of Captain America very well and is also a good pantomime villain for the European fans.
Half the yanks last year looked like they didn’t care they had lost

 

[SteveW86]

That Reed v Rory match was one of the best ever

 

[sunshine]

We went to JCB a couple of years ago. Bryson wasn’t contending, and tbh was cutting a forlorn figure on the quieter areas of the course.

Most people attend (especially LIV events) for the experience and of course it helps if a high profile player is contending on Sunday but it’s not pivotal to the success of the event.

Clutching at straws here.

Tournaments pay high profile players appearance money just to turn up. LIV is the biggest example of this - they have paid millions to top names to switch over, it is entirely pivotal to an event.

I'm sure the tears were rolling down your face when you heard the news about Reed. What happened to growing the game? When are you going to change your avatar?

 

[Mel Smooth]

Clutching at straws here.

Tournaments pay high profile players appearance money just to turn up. LIV is the biggest example of this - they have paid millions to top names to switch over, it is entirely pivotal to an event.

I'm sure the tears were rolling down your face when you heard the news about Reed. What happened to growing the game? When are you going to change your avatar?

Reed is a bigger loss than Brooks, especially given the timing.


Why would I change my avatar though? I'm still a Patrick Reed fan, the guy is a great golfer and he'll be a solid addition to the DPWT for the majority of the 2026 season.

 

[sunshine]

Why would I change my avatar though?

Because Reed really was the poster boy for the Liv defection.

There were players like Koepka who didn't make much noise about it, e.g. he didn't wear Liv gear when playing in majors. Then there were players like Kaymer who were honest and said they weren't good enough to win on the PGA Tour any more, and Liv represented a last chance to earn the big bucks.

But Reed full on espoused the party propaganda. All his comments about growing the game etc. I think in America they call it drinking the Kool aid.

 

[wjemather]

Because Reed really was the poster boy for the Liv defection.

There were players like Koepka who didn't make much noise about it, e.g. he didn't wear Liv gear when playing in majors. Then there were players like Kaymer who were honest and said they weren't good enough to win on the PGA Tour any more, and Liv represented a last chance to earn the big bucks.

But Reed full on espoused the party propaganda. All his comments about growing the game etc. I think in America they call it drinking the Kool aid.

Certainly not for LIV he wasn't - he'd have actually had his face on all the posters if he were. And however much of a convenient pantomime villain Reed may have been for LIV detractors, the main man was always Phil Mickelson.

Kaymer's actual words.

And if you listen to Reed since leaving LIV (and not just the selected edits), he's still saying the same things about his time there.

 

[sunshine]

Certainly not for LIV he wasn't - he'd have actually had his face on all the posters if he were. And however much of a convenient pantomime villain Reed may have been for LIV detractors, the main man was always Phil Mickelson.

Kaymer's actual words.

And if you listen to Reed since leaving LIV (and not just the selected edits), he's still saying the same things about his time there.

Kaymer's actual words in 2022:

“To be completely honest, if you see where I am in my career right now, I don’t have a full PGA Tour card. I would love to play against the best in the world but at the moment I can’t.
“I won’t play on the PGA Tour next year because I won’t have enough tournaments this year, so I will only compete on the European Tour"

Essentially he admitted he wasn't good enough for the PGA Tour any more. I thought it was a really brave and endearing decision to show his vulnerability and share a genuine view.

 

[wjemather]

Kaymer's actual words in 2022:

“To be completely honest, if you see where I am in my career right now, I don’t have a full PGA Tour card. I would love to play against the best in the world but at the moment I can’t.
“I won’t play on the PGA Tour next year because I won’t have enough tournaments this year, so I will only compete on the European Tour"

Essentially he admitted he wasn't good enough for the PGA Tour any more. I thought it was a really brave and endearing decision to show his vulnerability and share a genuine view.

"I never really picked up my PGA Tour membership properly – I never really liked to live in America for 12 months and that’s what, in my opinion, you need to do in order to compete on the PGA Tour. I’m a huge fan of the European Tour and I really liked all the tournaments and the venues that they used to have, but where the Tour is going now, especially with the cooperation with the PGA Tour, ultimately it will get me back onto the PGA Tour, where I don’t want to be."

 

[Mel Smooth]

Nice to see Sergio up the leaderboard on his return to the DPWT