The spotlight shines brightly on Scottie Scheffler as he strides onto the greens of the PGA Championship, capturing the attention of the golfing world. With four victories in his last five tournaments, including this year’s Masters, the Texan phenom stands as the overwhelming favorite to claim the trophy at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.
Despite his impressive record, Scheffler’s triumph at Augusta National, securing his second green jacket, failed to ignite widespread mainstream interest. CBS witnessed a decline in viewership, with roughly 9.5 million tuning in for Sunday’s final round, down 20% from Jon Rahm’s dramatic victory over Brooks Koepka in 2023. This prompted media expert Michael McCarthy to pose the question: “Does golf TV have a Scottie Scheffler problem?”
Following his Masters triumph, Scheffler continued his winning streak with another victory at Hilton Head Island, S.C. However, the final round, marred by a rain delay, attracted only 2.15 million viewers, nearly halving last year’s audience of 4.15 million for the RBC Heritage tournament, where Matthew Fitzpatrick emerged victorious over Jordan Spieth in a playoff. Scheffler has since taken a break from competition as he eagerly anticipates the birth of his first child.
But is Scheffler truly to blame for the decline in viewership? According to sports media expert Lee Berke, the ongoing battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour might be the primary culprit. “You lose some competitive aspects,” Berke notes, shedding light on the possible reasons behind this year’s lower PGA Tour TV audiences.
However, this explanation falls short in clarifying the dip in Masters viewership, considering all top LIV players participated at Augusta. Could Scheffler’s dominance be a factor? ESPN golf host Scott Van Pelt weighs in, suggesting that while viewers appreciate excellence, they are constantly searching for the next standout figure. “No one’s going to remind us of Tiger [Woods],” Van Pelt asserts.
As Scheffler eyes the PGA Championship title, victory would position him alongside Jordan Spieth as the only golfers since 2015 to claim the first two majors of the year. Such an achievement would place him halfway towards the elusive calendar grand slam, a feat even Tiger Woods never accomplished.