[Andrew Cunningham]

The REAL reason TV golf ratings are down is because for the most part Sunday afternoons are boring entertainment.  No question the final round of this year’s Masters was exciting, but let’s face it Tiger was simply toying with DiMarco.  The US Open was interesting but only because Tiger didn’t win.  

Every other tournament even the ones with the higher TV ratings (ie. when Tiger’s leading) are so boring because the outcome is pretty much a forgone conclusion.  There’s simply no drama.  How often has Tiger lost a lead on Sunday?  Tiger’s dominance hasn’t helped produce a more exciting product for TV.  

Look at this past week’s Senior British Open.  Now that was great final round entertainment – till the playoff.  Why?  Because of one man – Greg Norman.  Whether viewers were a fan or not people loved watching this guy play.  In his prime there was no one more fascinating to watch than Greg Norman.  

He wowed us with his passion, flare, and talent and broke our hearts with his all too often near misses.  These swings are what made for such fascinating TV.  When Tiger gets a lead it’s all but over.  Perhaps the greatest closer professional sports has ever seen.  But when Greg was in the lead or very close to it who knew what would happen.  People can relate to the Great White Shark because we've all screwed up.  Tiger seems robotic in comparison.

I doubt it’s a stretch to say ABC’s ratings for this year’s Senior British Open were probably the highest ever by a wide margin.  Just like the TV ratings for this week’s US Senior Open will most likely be their highest ever.  Although they’d never admit it, I’d bet the Senior British rivaled the real Open Championship for final round viewers.

It’s great to see Greg Norman back (no pun intended).  Finally golf is worth watching again.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

Sales Guru -

Did you watch the Buick on Sat./Sun.?  Tiger didn't close until late on Sun.  Glad that you are a fan of Norman.  The Champions Tour could use some star power!

The real reason golf ratings are down, is unlike the NFL & Nascar, the best athletes do not compete every weekend.

JWK

[George Pazin]

Can't speak for the other viewers, but this particular formerly obsessed viewer is simply bored with watching everyone hit driver-wedge and drop and stop golf on every telecast. When the biggest decision are "What's the distance to the front of the green?" and "How many paces back is the hole?", it is simply boring, no matter who is playing.

In the majors they actually play golf, so that's about the only thing left worth watching. Even when Tiger dominates like at The Open, the shots are at least entertaining.

[Brent Hutto]

I'll put a slightly different spin on friend George's point. I think golf is boring when the result of a typical shot is determined entirely by where it touches the ground. Most of the regular Tour golf you see on TV is actually putting. The full shots consist of a guy making a swing, a ball against the blue sky and then the ball sitting on the fairway (or rough) or on the green. Boring. It comes down to two questions. Did he execute the swing? Did he make the putt?

It's much more interesting when neither the viewer nor the golfer (nor the cameraman) knows for sure what will happen once the ball in on the ground. An Open at the Old Course or Sandwich is an extreme of this. Likewise, balls at Shinnecock or Pinehurst creeping into trouble after a "perfect shot" add immense interest and tension. When not plagued by constant rain, this is one element that the Masters offers on both tee shots and many approaches.

[TEPaul]

Andrew:

Do you really call yourself a "sales guru"? If so you wouldn't make posts like that blaming Woods and his dominance for the reason golf ratings are down which happens to be patently untrue anyway if Woods is in a tournament. The reason TV golf ratings are down is because the old stand-by golf fans in this country have turned into a bunch of golf Water Mittys or else they are a bunch of schizophrenic duffuses who either never know what they want, or they want the opposite of what they have.

First they were complaining there were no super-stars to latch onto and everything was so boring because the tour was chocked full of a bunch of cloned blond look-alikes who all looked like they were from SoCal or something.

Then to answer their hopes and dreams they get a black player whose about the polar opposite of that blond clone thing they used to complain about. Not just that but the black/Asian/white/American Indian super-duper star is the biggest super-star not just in golf but most any sport has ever seen. And if that's not enough to ask for and get he happens to be the Second Coming of Christ too but obviously we'll need to wait for him to win at least 41 majors beforre he shows us that career change.

All this and now you say they're bored because he's too good and because of that TV ratings are down?

Both of those contentions are as worthwhile as some really runny cockatoo caca.

[johnk]

The real reason that TV ratings are down is right in front of you.

The internet.

More channels, better replays & highlights, and plenty of stuff to do on a weekend don't hurt either.

[Voytek Wilczak]

Sales Guru and myself cannot have more diverging views on that issue. I tend to be LESS interested in watching golf when Woods does not play.

When I watch Norman I am always afraid that he'll choke or find an equally painful way to lose.

[TEPaul]

Greg Norman??

I loved the guy but did he really generate interest in TV viewing of golf? As good as he seemed to be (how many weeks was he number #1 in the world? About 300 weeks?) he was far more unlucky for some unknown reason at the 11th hour than Woods is lucky at the 11th hour.

How exciting was it to see Norman do the things he sometimes did? Not exciting to me.

"Oh look, Hon, the leader of the Masters just damn near shanked his approach shot into the stands on the right of the 72nd hole! Wow, isn't that exciting? Maybe I could even do that."

No, I think far more fans are interested in watching this young black, Asian, White, American Indian man win golf tournaments by 12 and 15 shots for a decade or so more before he finally settles into what he's really here as---the Second Coming of Christ. Or is it the second coming of Buddha or parhaps Victor Vishnu Jr?

[mikes1160]

Andrew,

Proof is in the numbers: 5.0, 14 rating for the final round of The Open, biggest since 2000 - same guy, same place. I'll wager the Senior British doesn't garner half that.

Present PGA TOUR contract ('02-06): almost 900 million, 45% more than the previous four-year deal. All thanks to you-know-who.

Ratings go up 65% when Eldrick is playing. More when he is in contention.

Loved Norman, brought a lot to the game, can't deny his being number one for four or so years. But he never, ever, ever had that kind of impact.

[Bill_McBride]

George, Tiger did not run away with the Open at St Andrews, the other guys folded their tents.  Monty was within a stroke after 9 holes and shot 39 on the back.  Goosen never showed up.  Olazabal made bogies when birdies would have gotten him back in the fray.  Tiger just played steady, conservative golf and the others disappeared.  Nobody does that like Tiger!

Enjoyed seeing you in Pensacola, hope the rest of your vacation relaxing and enjoyable.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Voytek,

I can't agree more that watching Norman can be very painful - but not knowing what is going to happen (good or bad) makes for great entertainment.  When Tiger is leading who cares?  Has he ever choked?  Nope.  Boring entertainment.  Reality TV has been tremendously successful for one reason: nobody knows what's going to happen next.  Same thing with most sports - no script very little predictability.  Tiger leading, Tiger winning at the Open Championship simply a fore gone conclusion.

From a "sales" standpoint Tiger has been the greatest endorsement figure Nike Golf could have ever dreamed of.  Worth every penny he's paid.  Buick on the other hand has not seen even close to the ROI that Nike has.  It's not Tiger's fault, once again just poor demographic target marketing from General Motors.

Tiger brought a lot of people to this game; the problem is not very many have stayed.  Again, not Tiger's fault just his target demographics have realized that spending $100 plus for 6 hours of pain and frustration just isn't that much fun.  And who can blame them for that!


Andrew

[Gary_Nelson]

I've got a different reason for my decline in golf-watching.

Simply put, there ain't much golfing going on anymore.  The TV producers show too much walking, watching, fidgeting, waggling... and not enough swinging.  I want to see golfers hit golf balls.  I do NOT want to watch Tiger walking up a fairway or plum bobbing his putt.  

Show me a variety of players hitting a variety of shots.  Heck... show me replays of amazing shots when they happen, no matter who hit it or where they are in the field.  A great shot by a guy way down the leaderboard is much more interesting to me than the 18th waggle by Sergio Garcia.

I can handle the constant onslaught of drive/wedge/putt.  But just give me more of the golf swing instead of the walking/waggling/talking stuff.

[Paul Richards]

Andrew


Time to pick up a copy of Geoff Shackelford's book, "The Future of Golf" and read it.


Then you will truly understand what is the REAL reason TV ratings are down and why the future of golf doesn't look so hot.

 

[Paul Richards]

Gary

>Simply put, there ain't much golfing going on anymore.  The TV producers show too much walking, watching, fidgeting, waggling... and not enough swinging.  I want to see golfers hit golf balls.


Excellent points.

And I don't want to see Ben Crane looking at a putt for 15 minutes.

This guy has gotta speed up.

Or play worse.

That way he won't get any TV time.

Which would be good for me and for anyone wanting to watch GOLF.

 

[Dan Herrmann]

I'm not watching because HD golf, other than the Masters, has not been available this year.

Like ice hockey, HD can be the savior of TV golf.

HD really allows you to see the architecture well - much, much better than standard TV.

[Voytek Wilczak]

I'm not watching because HD golf, other than the Masters, has not been available this year.

Like ice hockey, HD can be the savior of TV golf.

HD really allows you to see the architecture well - much, much better than standard TV.

Heads-up: PGA will be in HD on CBS.
 

[Dan Kelly]

George Pazin (#2) and Gary Nelson (#12) said it all for me.

I have to think that if I (a fanatical Fantasy Golf player) am not watching -- and I'm not, other than the majors and a very occasional standard-issue Sunday -- PGA Tour golf coverage has some serious, serious problems.

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