Rory McIlroy’s Masters win is most-watched since 2018
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Rory McIlroy poses with the Masters trophy during the Green Jacket Ceremony after winning the tournament on April 13.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
AUGUSTA – Rory McIlroy’s nail-biting victory at the Masters golf tournament
The audience grew by 33 per cent from last year, when Scottie Scheffler cruised to a four-stroke win and earned his second green jacket in three years, CBS said on X. It was the most-watched Masters since 2018, according to the network, the broadcast division of Paramount Global.
McIlroy’s road to his first Masters title was dramatic and likely gave a much-needed boost to the tournament’s ratings. The first round, which aired on ESPN on April 10, had an average of 2.3 million viewers, down 28 per cent from a year ago, while the second round, which ESPN showed on April 11, drew an average of 3.1 million viewers, a 14 per cent decline.
Over the course of the weekend, McIlroy squandered multiple leads, bringing back memories of his fumble in the 2011 Masters, when he led for three straight days but finished in 15th place.
But the Northern Irish golfer made remarkable comebacks as well. After narrowly missing a five-foot putt on the final hole that would have given him the victory, McIlroy won a sudden-death play-off against English golfer Justin Rose.
The win was McIlroy’s first major victory in 11 years and made him only the sixth golfer to claim a career Grand Slam, which includes winning the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open and the Open Championship, also known as the British Open.
“There were points in my career where I didn’t know if I would have this nice garment over my shoulders,” McIlroy said after the tournament while wearing his new green Masters jacket. “But I didn’t make it easy today. I certainly didn’t make it easy. I was nervous.” BLOOMBERG
