Though in his statement this morning Tiger Woods didn't preclude a return to golf this year, he also didn't announce any specific plans to return. That spells bad news for the tournaments and the ratings. Ratings are typically 50% worse when Tiger isn't participating.
Before today I'd fully expected that Tiger would be playing by this year's Masters (including one tune-up tournament prior to it). That's still not off the table, but doesn't seem nearly as certain to me as it did before. The Masters may be a "Tradition Unlike Any Other," but when it comes to ratings, Woods is a golfer unlike any other. A big problem for the PGA in general, an even bigger problem if Woods isn't playing.
VIEWERSHIP OF PGA TOURNAMENTS MISSED BY TIGER WOODS DUE TO INJURY IN 2008-09:
| TOURNAMENT | NETWORK | # OF VIEWERS P2+, 2007-08 | # OF VIEWERS P2+, 2008-09 | % CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRITISH OPEN-SAT | ABC | 3,040,000 | 3,278,000 | 7.8% |
| BRITISH OPEN-SUN | ABC | 5,147,000 | 4,463,000 | -13.3% |
| AT&T NATIONAL-SAT | CBS | 2,630,000 | 1,442,000 | -45.2% |
| AT&T NATIONAL-SUN | CBS | 3,615,000 | 2,164,000 | -40.1% |
| NEC World Series GOLF-SAT | CBS | 3,250,000 | 1,793,000 | -44.8% |
| NEC World Series GOLF-SUN | CBS | **4,541,000 | 3,018,000 | -33.5% |
| PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS-SAT | CBS | 5,947,000 | ^^1,298,000 | -78.2% |
| PGA CHAMPIONSHIPS-SUN | CBS | **9,165,000 | 3,885,000 | -57.6% |
| BUICK INV PGA GOLF-SAT | CBS | 3,761,000 | 1,601,000 | -57.4% |
| BUICK INV PGA GOLF-SUN | CBS | **6,193,000 | 2,868,000 | -53.7% |
| DEUTSCHE GOLF CHAMP-SUN | NBC | 3,658,000 | 1,960,000 | -46.4% |
| DEUTSCHE GOLF CHAMP-MON | NBC | 4,936,000 | 2,116,000 | -57.1% |
| BMW GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP-SAT | NBC | 3,113,000 | 1,091,000 | -65.0% |
| BMW GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP-SUN | NBC | **4,358,000 | 1,678,000 | -61.5% |
| TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP-SAT | NBC | 3,573,000 | 1,372,000 | -61.6% |
| TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP-SUN | NBC | **4,231,000 | 2,183,000 | -48.4% |
| TOTAL | 4,567, 000 | 2,430,000 | -46.8% | |
| source: The Nielsen Company 2009** – tournament won by Tiger Woods
^^ – play suspended by inclement weather |
||||
More via Nielsen wire.
And people wonder why people are making a big deal about the scandal!! His entrance into golf gave new life to the archaic “rich, old, white elite” boys club. If anything, he’s become a necessary evil to golf – they don’t WANT to be associated with a cheater (and boy, he was even skilled at that. I mean, is the guy bad at anything he TRIES to do?!), but at this point, they need him. Those green jackets don’t buy themselves.
I haven’t been expecting to see Woods before the Masters. I expect to see him in Augusta though. I will be surprised if he voluntarily skips a major since winning majors has been his life’s goal.
By the time play starts in Augusta, nearly 22 months will have passed since Tiger’s last major title. If he skips the Masters, that period will grow to two years (almost to the day) by the U.S. Open.
I could see Woods skipping every other tournament this year. The National, which he hosts in Washington D.C. The Arnold Palmer. Jack Nicklaus’ event. The World Golf Championships. The PGA Cup Playoffs. Even the Ryder Cup. Barring injury, I will be stunned if he fails to play in the four majors in 2009.
First of all, I don’t buy the whole ” “rich, old, white elite boys club” meme. One, there are other skilled golfers who aren’t rich, old, and white. Second, considering where golf is popular it’s not surprising you see mostly white guys playing the sport.
Second of all, it’s time for golf to move on from Tiger Woods. He was never going to play forever. Perhaps it’s time to start building up other players so they don’t have to rely on one person to keep the sport popular.
In my opinion Tiger Woods should’ve went on and do what he loves to do and that’s golf. Sitting at home or whatever he’s going to do isn’t going to help make things better.
Tiger Woods can easily reshape his image much like Kobe Bryant has after his scandal by playing the game. Huge mistake from Woods.
Jimmy- I’m not saying that’s how I feel; I’m saying that how it was PERCEIVED before Tiger came around. Ask around. That’s how it was BT (Before Tiger). That was the stigma.
I guess you can’t have it both ways… trash Tiger daily on entertainment programs and not expect a reaction. Hopefully he comes back but the media’s gain is also another media’s loss
come back when you’re ready Tiger.. those of us that watch golf for the talent miss you.
I too think he’ll be back for the Masters. I’d actually be more upset at him for skipping Majors then cheating on his wife. Not to be insensitive but when he cheated on his wife he wronged only his wife, not his fans. He never made his marriage vows to his fans, he made them to his wife. He has, however, made an implicit pact with sports fans that he will try to be the best golfer of all time, and he will do it by winning a record number of majors in his career. So how about he gets back to golfing before it feels like he’s cheated on us too.
This is anecdotal: I heard someone, I think a reporter for the Golf Channel say on the radop last night that PGA ratings are down 50% this year w/o Tiger. No wonder the golf ” journalists” are treating him like he cut up those 18 women and shoved them in a duffel bag, not that he seduced them or let them seduce him in consensual adult ( admittedly questionable) relatuionships. Masters? Seems kind of so0on, but I wouldn’t bet the farm agaqinst it.
I know, typos again … OSU just made a big play against Baylor and I got distracted.
I can’t figure out why people watch golf only when Woods plays. It’s not like he has any personality or charisma on the course. I got bored with golf when Woods won everything for a few years in a row.
I do think that golf is going to be permanently damaged by the scandal.
I think the casual golf fan that only watched when Woods plays may be done with him (for a few years) and golf ratings may not recover for years, after an initial spike his first one or two tournaments back.
The golf fans I know are pretty conservative people. They probably wont be as forgiving as basketball fans were with K. Bryant.
My prediction.