The British Open Is Rarely An American TV Hit, But This One Has All the Ingredients

It doesn’t quite rank with winning four consecutive majors or going seven years without missing a cut, but Tiger Woods’ competitive alliance with son Charlie last December at what should be called the Offspring Open bore a slight resemblance to some of his most notable accomplishments.

When’s the last time a hit-and-giggle held in the heart of holiday season reeled in a larger television audience than the British Open? With or without Charlie as a wingman, Woods’ impact on the eyeball count remains a dependable and highly profitable commodity. His absence at Royal St. George’s last summer left the year’s final major with an average daily viewership of 2.1 million — 200,000 fewer than those who watched the battle of bloodlines in Orlando, Tiger’s first competitive appearance since his near-fatal car accident 10 months earlier.

Woods’ comebacks are always a big deal, but we’re talking about the world’s oldest and perhaps most prestigious golf tournament. As more than a mere footnote, Woods led the 2018 British Open with eight holes to play, then faltered down the stretch to finish T6. That leaderboard presence led to a whopping 6.48 million viewers and 4.3 Nielsen rating, making it the Open's most-watched final round since Woods won by eight at St. Andrews in 2000.

Speaking of which, the return to the Old Course is sure to generate some big numbers. Tiger is back, rickety body and all, none the worse for wear. Two of his three Claret Jugs were obtained on this same hallowed ground, but as past collides with future, there’s also the possibility that the 150th edition of this holy gathering will mark the last time, at least for a while, that all of the game’s top performers compete at the same venue.

As LIV Golf continues to ruffle feathers, an unamused incumbent is tightening tethers. The R&A’s decision to ban two-time British Open champion/chief renegade Greg Norman from this week’s festivities might appear petty, but shotgun blasts are loud for a reason. The salvo suggests solidarity within the constituency, although the most important stand, one that might not be made public for months, will come from Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.

Given how the men who run the Masters have been on a good-for-the-game crusade since Billy Payne took office in 2006 — Ridley succeeded Payne without a hitch in 2017 — it’s not hard to envision the jolly greenjackets imposing a tournament ban on LIV members in an effort to preserve the game’s sanctity and sanity. This is a political football only in the sense that the goal line is located in northeast Georgia.

Although the 2018 British Open attracted more Sunday viewers than any PGA Championship or U.S. Open over the previous three years, it often ranks last among the four majors in terms of audience size. The most obvious reason for this is the time-zone factor. Eight hours separate Greenwich Mean Time from the Pacific, which might cost the tournament a third of its U.S. audience. Much like the Ryder Cup, which is contested a few weeks into the football season, the British Open’s appeal is limited primarily to serious golf fans.

This might explain why three different networks have held the U.S. television rights since the mid-2000s. ABC had been the longtime carrier, and though it took on ESPN as a corporate partner, the cable behemoth was required to successfully bid for exclusive coverage of the tournament in 2010. Just five years later, with Woods frequently out of action and the value of the product somewhat compromised, the Worldwide Leader yielded to NBC on the ensuing contract and sold the final year of its rights to the new owner.

Anyone who works in the television business will tell you ratings don’t matter, as if there really is a Santa Claus. The British Open’s difficulty in sustaining American viewership first became apparent in 2010 — not only the year ESPN took over the telecast, but the onset of Woods’ personal and physical issues, which would rob him of almost the entire decade. Ratings consistently in the low 2s were the lowest in tournament history, and dare it be said, the lowest ever posted at a major.

Phil Mickelson’s remarkable charge to victory in 2013 registered a 3.1, which seemed to bring ESPN out of its funk, but the number dipped to 2.3 in each of the next two years. NBC’s 2016 debut featured a thrilling weekend duel between Mickelson and winner Henrik Stenson, and that did well, as did Jordan Spieth’s triumph in 2017 (almost 5 million viewers). Any positive mojo off Woods’ performance the following July, however, led instead to a hangover of epic proportions.

The 2019 affair, won by Shane Lowry in a blowout, suffered a 42-percent drop in the ratings — almost 2.8 million fewer viewers and the rarest of boob-tube occurrences: the final round actually did worse than the third. When a prominent American is in the hunt, the British Open does OK at overseas box offices. Otherwise, it’s the Valspar Championship in much worse weather.

Woods won’t be around forever to carry golf tournaments on his back, but he’ll be out there grinding away Thursday afternoon. NBC’s entire promotional campaign is built around a 46-year-old relic held together by masking tape and raw determination, his chiseled physique no less than a marvelous mirage. Charlie’s old man ain’t what he used to be, but he’s enough. More than enough.

Reader feedback is encouraged at inbox@morningread.com and we may publish your letter (include your name and hometown). Click here to receive all the latest Morning Read news and commentary free in your inbox every morning.