Tiger Woods proved to be ratings gold again.
Overnight ratings for the final round of the Tour Championship on Sunday showed it was the most-watched final round of a non-major in 2018 and the most-watched round of the event since records have been kept.
Despite being up against the NFL, the season-ending event broadcast on NBC that saw Woods win his first PGA Tour event in more than five years drew a 5.21 overnight rating when Woods was on the course. When Woods won his first PGA Tour event in more than five years, there were more people watching than any moment during the U.S. broadcasts of the Open Championship or the U.S. Open this year.
“Tiger Woods’ win at the Tour Championship was an unforgettable event in golf, the massive gallery following Tiger up the 18th fairway was matched by record viewership across NBC Sports platforms,” Mike McCarley, president of golf for NBC Sports, said in a statement.
The Tiger boost manifested itself earlier in the year during majors in which he was in contention. The final round of the Open Championship, in which Woods finished tied for sixth, was the event’s highest U.S. ratings in 18 years. The PGA Championship, where Tiger finished second, was the most watched PGA Championship since 2009.