pga tour golf viewership

Golf fans shocked as latest LIV Golf vs PGA Tour TV ratings are revealed

Golf fans react as TV ratings are revealed from last weekend's LIV Golf Mayakoba and PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Golf fans have been reacting to the latest TV ratings following LIV Golf 's first event of the season at Mayakoba and the PGA Tour 's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which was reduced to a 54-hole tournament following a final-round washout.

With no live golf played on Sunday over on the PGA Tour, it left the door wide open for golf fans to head over to The CW Network should they so wish and view the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba in Mexico. 

It was also a particularly strong leaderboard heading into the final round too, with Joaquin Niemann leading by two strokes over LIV Golf debutant and arguably the best player in the world, Jon Rahm . 

But despite everything aligning perfectly for LIV Golf in the final round, unfortunately its viewing figures on The CW Network were close to five times less to that of CBS Sports ' third-round coverage of the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am , which ended up being the final round due to bad weather.

Wyndham Clark was crowned the winner after surging into the third-round read following a stunning 60 , which marked the lowest-ever round at famed Pebble Beach.

It was not the lowest round of the weekend, however, as Niemann fired a course-record 59 in the first round at Mayakoba. 

While Clark's round marked the lowest of his blossoming PGA Tour career, the 60 did not count as an official record at Pebble Beach as a result of preferred lies being in place. 

Niemann ended up defeating his former mentor Sergio Garcia at the fourth extra hole in darkness over at Mayakoba, while Rahm led his new Legion XIII to a four-stroke team victory despite throwing away the individual title when finding the penalty area with his tee shot down the 17th. 

PGA Tour trounces LIV Golf

According to official TV ratings from the weekend's action in the men's professional game, CBS had 1.951m viewers during Saturday's third round.

In comparison, LIV Golf's second-round action on Saturday drew 168,000 viewers on The CW Network but an improved 432,000 viewers on Sunday. 

Pebble Beach PGA (Saturday), CBS: 1.951m LIV Golf (Saturday), CW: 168K LIV Golf (Sunday), CW: 432K https://t.co/I7csAFZ3vK — Sports TV Ratings (@SportsTVRatings) February 6, 2024

What must be taken into consideration is the above numbers do not include streaming available on both the LIV Golf Plus App and the LIV Golf YouTube channel. 

While these figures have not been made official, LIV Golf's final round YouTube video has amassed 165,000 views. 

One big positive for LIV Golf is the fact its final-round coverage of the first event of the season on The CW Network was superior to that of its first event in 2023, also at Mayakoba, which had 291,000 viewers. 

So it's not all bad news for LIV Golf. 

Golf fans have been reacting to the latest TV ratings on LIV Golf and the PGA Tour over on social media, so we encourage you to head over to our GolfMagic post on both Facebook and Twitter and get involved in the debate. 

Some fans think its very unfair to compare the two Tours without knowing how many viewers came through the LIV Golf Plus App, while others believe LIV Golf will never reach PGA Tour TV ratings no matter how much money is pumped into the Saudi-backed circuit. 

Which tournament did you watch last weekend? Did you tune into the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels. 

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Report: PGA Tour ratings increase for NBC, CBS and Golf Channel

Nbc racks up tad of 2.27m viewers across seven pga tour events this season..

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The PGA Tour’s viewership on US broadcasters NBC, Golf Channel and CBS has increased during the ongoing 2023 season, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ) .

• Through seven events, viewership on NBC increased three per cent year-over-year (YoY) with a total audience delivery (TAD) of 2.27 million viewers
• The Honda Classic and WGC Dell Match Play on NBC were the most-watched in four years
• The Valspar Championship hit a five-year high, with 2.59 million viewers tuning in to NBC for the final round
• Golf Channel has seen a nine per cent YoY jump in its audience through 15 events, notching up a TAD of 519,000 viewers
• CBS has averaged 2.59 million viewers for four PGA Tour events, excluding the Masters, marking a four per cent jump YoY
• The average weekly digital visitors to the PGA Tour’s website rose by eight per cent YoY in Q1 2023, while the number of iOS downloads of the tour’s app were up 60 per cent 
• Video views across the tour’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels were up 31 per cent compared to last year
• ESPN reported that streaming of PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ was up “significantly” in Q1, adding that the Genesis Invitational and Players Championship were the most-watched PGA Tour events ever on ESPN+.

This season, the PGA Tour increased its prize funds and put more FedExCup points on offer for several new ‘designated’ events in response to the breakaway LIV Golf circuit. Viewership numbers for those events have seen strong increases over 2022.

SBJ notes that two of the PGA Tour’s tournaments scheduled against LIV Golf’s three events saw a decline in viewership. The Valspar Championship, however, grew its audience for the final round by five per cent, despite going up against LIV Tucson.

Coming next:

The viewership figures for the PGA Tour will be well-received by its broadcast partners. The numbers also come a little over a month on from the tour announcing a shakeup of its schedule that will see cuts scrapped and tournament formats more closely aligned with those on LIV Golf at certain events from the start of next year.

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Pebble Beach rerun gets 3 times more linear TV viewers than LIV Golf

Wyndham Clark holds the trophy after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament in Pebble Beach, Calif., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Clark was declared the 54-hole winner at the first full signature event of the PGA Tour season when rain and dangerous wind postponed the final round on Sunday, and then tour and Monterey County officials decided it was too dangerous to play on Monday.(AP Photo/Nic Coury)

El chileno Joaquín Niemann, con el trofeo de campeón individual del torneo LIV Golf en Mayakoba en el campo de golf El Camaleón en Playa del Carmen, México, el domingo 4 de febrero del 2024. (Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf vía AP)

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LIV Golf had the stage to itself when the PGA Tour’s final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was postponed because of weather and the NFL was off before Super Bowl week.

According to Nielsen TV data, the PGA Tour still attracted three times as many viewers Sunday while showing a rerun of the third round.

LIV Golf Mayakoba, where Joaquin Niemann won a four-hole playoff in near darkness over Sergio Garcia, pulled in 432,000 viewers on the CW Network, its most ever.

Pebble Beach had over 1.21 million viewers on CBS for a rerun of Wyndham Clark setting the course record with a 60 in the third round. The tour canceled the final round later Sunday evening and Clark was declared the winner.

Saturday’s live coverage brought 1.91 million viewers for Pebble Beach, compared with 168,000 for Mayakoba.

The average audience for the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba was 48% higher than the previous year. Along with the four-hole playoff, Masters champion Jon Rahm made his LIV debut and was tied for the lead until a bogey-bogey finish.

This is the third season of LIV Golf. It plays this week in Las Vegas, site of the Super Bowl, with a 54-hole event ending on Saturday. The PGA Tour is 300 miles away at the WM Phoenix Open.

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Golf’s numbers game

Golf business pushes back on LIV narrative about viewers.

Nearly every interview with a LIV official or LIV player these days features the same media talking point: The PGA Tour’s viewership is sinking, and its audience is dying.

LIV officials have been relentless in pounding this narrative, using it as a main reason why the Saudi-backed league launched this year in the first place. Its officials and its players want to grow the sport, right?

When asked about TV golf, legendary producer David Hill, who consults with LIV, simply says, “The audience is dying.”

It’s understandable why LIV keeps using these talking points. Golf’s TV audience is among the oldest in all of sports, after all.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Instead of running away from the age of its audience, PGA Tour officials, TV network executives and advertisers run to it because that old audience also is affluent, educated and serves as business decision makers. Multiple interviews with media and advertising sales executives say that the age of the PGA Tour’s audience is not the albatross LIV makes it out to be.

It’s become clear that the golf business needs to do a better job defending the PGA Tour’s numbers.

In sports television, younger audiences almost always mean better audiences. Since the dawn of television, network executives have made programming decisions based on the truism that younger-skewing shows attract more advertisers and bring bigger audiences.

That’s why LIV events use a shotgun start, compressing a full day’s worth of matches into a four-or-five-hour TV package. Younger fans demand shorter sports.

It’s also why LIV events are set up as mini music festivals, with rock-and-roll blaring across the course as golfers line up their putts. Hushed tones are for senior citizens. Rock music is for the kids.

Several executives who are closely involved with golf’s media business pushed back on that narrative. Yes, network executives want a younger audience. But golf media has long embraced the advanced age of its viewers.

Ad buyers referenced Golf Channel’s sales pitch that has turned its age — it has the highest median age of any sports network (over 65 years for total day) — into an attribute. That’s because, as Golf Channel’s sales pitch goes, its audience also has the highest income level and counts more C-suite level executives than other channels.

Another point LIV folks try to hammer home suggests that it is an antidote to golf’s sagging ratings. LIV executives often point to decreased PGA Tour numbers as an area where it can build a business.

But an analysis of PGA Tour viewership since 2013-14 shows that the audience on CBS, NBC and Golf Channel has remained relatively steady.

For example, the TV audience for PGA Tour events across those three networks increased by 7% from five years earlier. During that same time period, the overall number of sports hours consumed on television dropped by 6%, sources said.

So far this year, however, all four rounds for events across those three networks have averaged 781,000 viewers, an audience that is down 14% from the previous season.

PGA Tour television numbers have been inconsistent since LIV Golf’s first tournament in early June. CBS started out with a bang at the RBC Canadian Open, which posted the biggest final round viewership in 22 years. CBS’s coverage of the John Deere Classic over July 4 weekend posted a 25% jump that included the best final round since 2015.

Sandwiched in between those two events, however, was the Travelers Championship that was won by Xander Schauffele, which posted a 36% drop on CBS.

While LIV Golf is generating a lot of headlines so far, it has yet to secure a media deal in the United States and its online numbers have been tiny.

Take the end of July, for example, when it held its third tournament outside New York City. Its YouTube feed on Sunday had an average concurrent feed of just 74,000. CBS’s coverage of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic on the same day averaged 2.5 million viewers.

LIV Golf is forced to stream its events via YouTube, Facebook and its own website.

LIV executives have said they expect to have a U.S. media deal in place by the end of the year. The problem is that most of big media companies — CBS, ESPN, NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery — have deep relationships with the PGA Tour and are unlikely to cut a LIV deal anytime soon.

Fox Sports is an outlier, given that Hill was a top Fox executive for more than two decades and LIV CEO Greg Norman has a personal relationship with Rupert Murdoch. But sources said it has not had substantive conversations about a deal.

It’s clear that networks and advertisers still view the PGA Tour as a good business. It was just a couple of years ago that CBS, ESPN and NBC signed media deals with the tour worth close to $700 million per year combined. Those deals run through 2030.

Those deals are structured in such a way that the broadcast networks are not dependent as much on ratings. The PGA Tour sells 75% of the ad sales inventory, leaving network ad sales groups to sell the remaining 25%.

That means every PGA Tour event is profitable for CBS and NBC. The networks’ economic model, when it comes to the PGA Tour, is as strong as it has ever been.

Similarly, ad sales executives don’t view PGA Tour telecasts through a ratings lens. Of course, they all want Tiger Woods playing in the final group on Sunday, but they buy time in the PGA Tour to reach a unique audience.

“We’ve found that people who watch golf don’t typically watch other sports,” one ad buyer said.

Right now, that’s just the PGA Tour. Two ad buyers said their clients are not asking about LIV — at least not yet. They also said they wouldn’t recommend LIV right now based on the uproar over the human rights abuses from the Saudi government that funds it.

The other key is distribution. LIV will not gain much advertiser interest if it continues to stream its events on YouTube and Facebook, the ad buying executives said. 

Editor’s note: This story is revised from the print edition.

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9 Golf Viewership Statistics That Drive The Industry

Updated:  Mar 06, 2024

Casinos For 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦 Players

One of the world’s most-watched sports is golf. Despite the absence of screaming fans and action-packed scenes, this stroke of a play still manages to draw viewers across America and Europe.

The 2023 Masters peaked at approximately 15 million viewers between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. EST, with an average of around 12.06 million viewers during the match.

Find out how golf viewership statistics change over time and why despite being a sport for the elite, it still maintains its vast fanbase attracting all age brackets.

Highlights of the Article

• ADT reached 423 million viewers in the APAC region broadcasting through 27 sports channels.
• LIV is up for a good start; its TV debut recorded average viewers of less than 300,000.
• 16.251 million combined total viewers tuned in to The Masters 2023 Finals.
• 15% of women watch golf sometimes or often as of mid-2022
• In 2022, LIV golf piqued the interest of 71% of people aged 18-34 .
• Mid- to high-income individuals make up 74% of golf viewers.
• PGA Tour 2023 saw a 31% increase in social media engagement.
• 2.9 viewer ratings in U.S. Open Finals 2022, a record low for U.S. Open since 1988.

How Many People Watch Golf?

Jon Rahm’s victory recorded 15.02 million viewers during the 2023 PGA Masters Tournament at Augusta. On average, there were 12 million people who watched the finals; this is a 19% bump in the 2022 Masters Finals, where Scottie Scheffler won.

The CW Network reported that the average number of viewers for the LIV Golf 2023 was under 300,000 . This is low compared to the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic finals broadcasted the same day on NBC, which averaged 2.38 million viewers.

The following section will give you insights into viewership statistics of golfing events. It will explain the factors driving these numbers and their significance to the tournament and the broadcasting networks.

Golf Viewership Statistic Worldwide

Golf is among the world’s most popular sports , with approximately 450 million fans. The sport is most prevalent in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and the North American region.

Below are global stats on golf viewership to help you identify where the sport is most followed.

1. ADT 2022 broadcast reached 423 million viewers in the APAC region.

(Danang Leisure, AB Magazine)

Golf’s popularity in Asia is on the rise. Asian Development Tour has been held since 2010, only temporarily stopping during the pandemic. In 2022, ADT was expected to set 19 tournaments held in:

• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)

It was expected that around 140 professional golfers would participate in the competition. The tour was broadcast on 27 local and international sports channels, reaching:

• 423 million viewers in the APAC region
• 380 million worldwide viewers.

One of the critical factors in the rise of the popularity of golf in the region is that Asian consumers start to turn to leisure activities as they get richer. The number of courses tripled in less than a decade in China alone.

2. The PGA Tour 2023 recorded over 1.7 million audiences more than LIV Golf.

(The Athletic)

LIV had its TV debut this year. In its second season, held at Mayakoba, almost 300,000 watched the tournament on CW. That amount is just a seventh of viewers of the weekend broadcast of the PGA Tour on NBC, with 2.4 million viewers.

Despite the big gap, LIV’s first broadcast showed a promising start. Although it may take some time for LIV’s viewership and ratings to be at par with PGA, LIV and CW’s partnership shows excellent potential.

CW ranked 25th in the US in 2022 with 574,000 average daily viewers after the changes in management and to its original programming, focused on teens and young-adult.

3. The Masters 2023 toppled PGA Tours and LIV by averaging over 12 million viewers.

(Sportskeeda)

During over five hours of broadcast, The Masters reached 16.25 million combined total viewers. The final round peaked at over 15 million viewers between 7:00-7:15 p.m. EST and averaged 12.06 viewers.

Golf Viewer Demographic Statistic

People refer to golf as the “ Rich Man’s Sport. ” This is due to the costs linked with playing. The sporting gear and equipment, membership fees, and even travel to golf courses will cost you a fortune.

Being dominated by male adult athletes , viewer demographics are leaning toward more middle-aged mid-to-high-income adult men. But, with the increase in female athletes and younger generations taking an interest in the sport, viewer trends are shifting.

Explore the profile of golf fanatics and see how the dominance of a particular group, based on demographics, affects viewership.

4. Only 15% of women watch golf sometimes or often as of June 2022.

(Statistica, National Golf Foundation)

Between 2019-2022, the number of women playing golf increased by 15%. Despite the increase of women playing golf, viewership is still predominantly men.

For respondents that answered often or sometimes, males make up 66%, while females are only 34%. This is consistent with the number of players, where 77% are male.

5. 71% of ages 18-34 followed LIV Golf in 2022.

(The Bay State Banner)

Non-traditional tournaments like exhibitions and LIV golf thrive in the younger generation. 71% of the respondents, aged 18-34, follow LIV Golf.

Meanwhile, PGA’s rating in the same age bracket is dwindling. 80% of Gen Zs claim that they do not like golf at all. Only 18% of those aged 18-34 consider themselves casual fans.

All sports attract this age bracket. As the younger generation takes over, sports organizations must capture their attention. This is to ensure that the industry will continue.

6. Golf viewers with an annual income of 70,000 and above make up 74% of the audience.

(Wichita State University)

Many of the world’s wealthiest are known to be golfers. Though this does not directly impact the income level of fans and viewers, 74% were discovered to be earning mid-to high-income.

Of the total respondents:

• 22.2% have an average income of $70,000-$99,999
• 37.9% have an average income of $100,000-$199,000
• 14% have an average income of $200,000 or more

Golf Viewership Statistic by Year

The number of fans watching golf fluctuates year-on-year. Tiger Wood’s winning match in 1997 reached 44 million viewers , the most-watched game ever recorded.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Masters peaked at 15.021 million between 7:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. ET, with an average of approximately 12 million viewers.

Take a look at the number of viewers in the major tournaments year-on-year.

7. Viewership for the PGA tour sees a 31% uptick in social media engagement in 2023.

(Front Office Sports)

PGA Tour viewership has seen an uplift of numbers across the board this year, with social media having the highest uptick by 31%. Other channels reported:

• 15% increase – Golf Channel
• 4% increase – CBS
• 19% increase – Masters Finals
• 3% increase – NBC

This shows that support from fans of the PGA Tour is increasing yearly.

8. U.S. Open 2022 recorded a 2.9 rating, the lowest since 1988.

9.2 million tuned in during Matt Fitzpatrick’s final hole, the highest viewership of the U.S. Open championship since 2013.

Ratings crashed to 2.9, a record low since the 1988 U.S. Open Championship. Despite this, the tournament is still the fourth most-watched event in 2022. The top 3 most-watched matches in 2022 are:

• PGA Championship (Final round)
• Masters (Third round)
• Masters (Final round)

9. US TV Networks recorded a 16% increase in total audience delivery during the Open Championship in 2022.

(NBC Sports)

150th Open Championship reached Total Audience Delivery of 2.5 million viewers across NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. This sets a 16% increase in TAD in 2021 and a 27% increase in 2019.

The 2022 Open Championship is the most-streamed golf event in NBC Sports history. Streaming reached 262 million minutes for all rounds.

The four rounds of the event were the most-watched sports event on their respective days. The finals averaged a TAD of 4.725 million viewers, a 12% increase from 2021, and peaked from 1:30-1:45 p.m. ET with more than 7.1 million viewers.

The statistics show that Golf is not just famous for the elite but is still steadily growing in players, fans, and viewership.

The Asian region shows a significant increase in people interested in the sport. Events such as LIV Golf help gain younger viewers. The challenge lies in enticing more women, younger people, and lower-income people to participate in the sport as viewers or players. 

Golf viewers and players have been predominantly mid to high-income men for years. It is essential to reach a broader market to increase viewership and keep the sport alive.

PGA viewers on regular weeks are averaging 2 million viewers. Championships can reach more than 10 million viewers.

Globally, there are approximately 450 million fans of golf.

Tiger Wood’s most famous victory in Augusta in 1997 recorded 44 million viewers, the most-watched tournament ever.

Yes. Major golf tournaments have seen a significant increase in viewership in 2022 and 2023 compared to previous years.

• Danang Leisure
• AB Magazine
• The Athletic
• Sportskeeda
• National Golf Foundation
• The Bay State Banner
• Wichita State University
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Once wrote serious life-saving stuff for the government, now unleashes his inner geek on the blog world. When not taking a deep dive into comics and video game lore or performing music, he dreams of chilling in a cold, cozy spot with a beer in his hand – probably somewhere the government won't find him. Sports and gaming enthusiast by day, cartoon and gastronomy detective by night.

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Greg Norman Shuts Down Viewership Backlash With Harsh PGA Tour Comparison: 'Oldest Aging Demographic'

Greg norman revealed the reason for having a young audience, liv golf's bad luck with streaming options.

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Rocket Mortgage Classic gives CBS Sports highest rated non-major/Signature Event of 2024

The thrilling finish to the Rocket Mortgage Classic helped give CBS Sports a nice ratings bump to close out June.

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Akshay Bhatia’s three-putt on the 72nd hole, which left Cameron Davis as the only man standing at 18-under-par, and thus the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic champion, helped give CBS Sports a nice ratings bump .

The network drew an average of 2.472 million viewers for Sunday’s final round at the Detroit Golf Club, a one-percent increase from last year when Rickie Fowler bested Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin in a playoff. Fowler’s win garnered plenty of attention, as he has quite an impressive following among PGA Tour fans. It also marked Fowler’s first PGA Tour victory since 2019. With that said, inclement weather forced the tour to begin the final round early a year ago, leading CBS to air a tape delay in the afternoon, which negatively affected ratings.

Weather had an impact on this year’s tournament, too, mainly during Saturday’s third round.

Yet, luckily for the network, Mother Nature did not create any issues or delays on Sunday, thus leading CBS to yield the highest-rated non-major/Signature Event of the 2024 season, per Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal .

With Bhatia and Davis coming down the stretch, the broadcast peaked with more than 4 million viewers—4.028 million to be exact—during the 6:00 to 6:17 p.m. ET window, per a CBS Sports spokesperson. That’s an impressive figure, considering many of the game’s top players did not compete last week in Detroit.

Similar sentiments can be said about this week’s John Deere Classic, as Jordan Spieth headlines the field. CBS will air live third and final round coverage from the Quad Cities this week.

It will also televise next week’s Genesis Scottish Open live from the Renaissance Club in Scotland.

CBS Sports will then wrap up its 2024 golf season with two more events, which bookend the Summer Olympics in Paris: the 3M Open at the end of July and the Wyndham Championship in August. NBC Sports has the rights to broadcast the FedEx Cup Playoffs this year.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Next Up In Golf

• Justin Rose qualifies for The Open; see who else made it to Royal Troon
• John Deere Classic: Luke Clanton devoted to college years, professional golf waits
• DP World Tour’s Matthew Southgate fights back tears after qualifying for The Open
• Solheim Cup: It’s official Lilia Vu easily secures spot on Team USA with World No. 1 Nelly Korda
• LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia falls short of The Open, frustrated by slow play warning
• John Deere Classic: How to watch, preview, tee times and more

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2024 PGA Tour Player Survey: What Golf Course Tops Your Bucket List to Play?

Art stricklin | jun 26, 2024.

Earlier this summer Sports Illustrated surveyed a number of PGA Tour players about a range of topics around golf, from Tour perks and golf-viewing habits to when they last paid a greens fee, and much more. We think you’ll enjoy the answers.

Previous topics: Best rookie advice

Today’s question: 

Which golf course is still on your bucket list to play?

“Muirfield, Scotland.” — Ryan Palmer “Bandon Dunes.” — Stewart Cink “Pine Valley. I’ve had offers, but haven’t done it yet.” — Jason Day “Pine Valley.” — Tony Finau “It was Cypress Point, but I just checked that one off. I’ve heard Royal County Down is really good, maybe that is my new one.” — Gary Woodland “Royal County Down, Ireland.” — Adam Scott “Fishers Island, New York.” — Matt Kuchar “I would have to say Fishers Island or National Golf Links in New York.” — Kevin Streelman “Bandon Dunes.” — Aaron Baddeley “Bandon Dunes.” — Jordan Spieth “Pine Valley.” — Mackenzie Hughes

“I’ve been to Royal Melbourne three times, once as a Presidents Cup assistant. That remains the greatest course I’ve been to, but never played. I’ve also never played Cypress Point and San Francisco Golf Club, that would be pretty awesome as well.” — Zach Johnson “Cypress Point.” — Keegan Bradley “Merion Golf Club.” — Akshay Bhatia “Pine Valley, everybody raves about it. And Cypress Point. I’ve never been asked to play Pine Valley, but I turned down an invite to Cypress Point. That was a very bad decision.” — Francesco Molinari “Probably Pine Valley.” — Tom Hoge

“Pine Valley, I guess.” — Jimmy Walker

“I don’t play golf outside the Tour, so I don’t have a bucket list.” — Daniel Berger

ART STRICKLIN

Art Stricklin is an award-winning golf writer based in Dallas and the president of the Texas Golf Writers Association. He spent more than a decade working for Texas newspapers. Stricklin is the author of 10 books, including, “Thanks for the Memories,” on the history of Northwood Club in Dallas, and “Links, Lore & Legends: The Story of Texas Golf.” He has become one of Texas’ foremost experts on golf history and travel, having witnessed a countless number of professional and amateur golf tournaments in the state. His work has been published in regional, national and international titles, including Sports Illustrated, Connoisseur Golf, Golf Magazine, Texas Monthly, Global Golf Post, D Magazine and Texas Golfer Magazine. Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @artstricklin

Miles Russell, 15, shoots 2-over 74 in PGA TOUR debut at Rocket Mortgage Classic

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Miles Russell set two goals for his PGA TOUR debut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic this week: Have fun and learn something.

Russell was not satisfied with the end result of his first round, a 2-over 74, but he’s well on his way to meeting both goals.

“Today was a great day," Russell said. "I mean, for it to be the first, definitely wasn't quite what I was hoping for, but we live, we learn, we move on. Looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully tomorrow's going to be better.”

The 15-year-old showed glimpses of the promise that has other TOUR pros raving about his potential. Standing just 5-foot-7 and weighing 120 pounds, Russell striped his tee shot 305 yards on his opening hole, the 10th. He stuffed a wedge to 20 inches on the third hole — Russell’s 12th hole of the day — and converted the short putt for his first PGA TOUR birdie.

Miles Russell throws a dart with wedge and taps in birdie at Rocket Mortgage

The round also included plenty of learning opportunities. Russell bogeyed the 10th after his long drive, misfiring with the approach shot. Russell flared a wedge into the left bunker, short-siding himself to the tucked left pin. He played his bunker shot to 18 feet and missed the par putt. Russell made 10 consecutive pars from there, a mix of impressive up-and-downs and narrowly missed birdie putts.

Russell’s biggest blunder came on par-4 sixth, the hardest hole on the course. Russell drove his ball into the trees on the right. He attempted to hit the hero shot, working the ball left-to-right and low under the trees, but could not get it out of the rough. His second attempt landed on the green but ran into the back rough, and Russell failed to get up and down from there, leading to a double-bogey.

It would’ve been understandable for Russell to sulk into the clubhouse from there, but the teenager bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 seventh, nearly hitting the green with his second shot and converting a routine up-and-down for another birdie. Russell almost added another birdie at 17 but missed a 10-foot putt and settled for par. That positive momentum was stifled with a three-putt bogey on the par-3 ninth, Russell’s last hole of the day.

“I learned a lot,” Russell said. “Especially when you don't play your best, but then watch Pierceson (Coody) and Rico (Hoey), I mean, they grind it out and they shot a couple under. It's like that could have very easily been what I did, just didn't quite make enough putts and made a few unforced errors.”

What's in Miles Russell's bag?

He has peers to look to as validation, as well. Russell is the latest in a run of phenoms on the PGA TOUR this year. Kris Kim and Blades Brown , both 16, made the cut at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and Myrtle Beach Classic, respectively.

Russell isn’t even the only young, talented phenom in the field. Amateurs Jackson Koivun, Luke Clanton and Ben James all received sponsor exemptions into the event. Koivun, the 19-year-old incoming Auburn sophomore and No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, shot even par. James, No. 3 in the WAGR, shot 2-under. Clanton, who helped Florida State reach the finals of the NCAA Championships and is fourth in the WAGR, shot 3-under.

Additionally, recently-turned-pro Neal Shipley shot 5-under 67. Shipley finished as the low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open . He carded a top 10 in his professional debut last week on PGA TOUR Americas.

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2024 John Deere Classic one and done picks, sleepers, field: Golf predictions, expert PGA Tour betting advice

Mike mcclure locked in his expert one and done golf picks, projected leaderboard, and top sleepers for the john deere classic 2024 at tpc deere run.

The PGA Tour is set to take on TPC Deere Run this week when the 2024 John Deere Classic gets underway on Thursday. Sungjae Im is now the 14-1 betting favorite in the latest 2024 John Deere Classic odds after Patrick Cantlay withdrew from the field for undisclosed reasons. Other top contenders in the John Deere Classic 2024 field include Sepp Straka (15-1), Aaron Rai (16-1), Denny McCarthy (18-1), Jordan Spieth (20-1), and Davis Thompson (22-1). The field will be competing for a total 2024 John Deere Classic purse of $8 million, with a winner taking home $1.44 million. 

With most One and Done pools entering the final stretch of the season, it is imperative to nail your John Deere Classic OAD picks. Should you back a favorite like Im or Spieth? Or should you target a longshot like Lucas Glover (50-1) or Patrick Rodgers (60-1)? Before locking in your 2024 John Deere Classic one and done picks,  you need to see what SportsLine DFS pro and PGA expert Mike McClure has to say . 

The One and Done format is growing in popularity. It has several noticeable similarities to NFL Survivor pools, with the main difference being entries are not eliminated with a bad week. Players pick one golfer per week and earn points based on their selected golfer's prize money for that tournament. Golfers can only be used once per season, and the point format makes nailing majors, signature events, and big money tournaments critical.

McClure is a DFS legend with over $2 million in career winnings, and he's been red-hot on his PGA picks dating back to the PGA Tour restart in June of 2020. McClure uses his proprietary simulation model to analyze the field and crush his golf picks.

McClure has been on fire with his One and Done picks in 2024. At The American Express he backed Justin Thomas, who finished in third place and took home $635,600. At the Genesis Invitational, McClure tabbed Patrick Cantlay, who finished in fourth place at the signature event, as his top OAD pick. At the Cognizant Classic, McClure's top one and done pick, Min Woo Lee, finished in a tie for second place. Finally, at the Arnold Palmer Invitation, another signature event, McClure recommended using Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris. The Result: Scheffler won the event by five strokes, and Zalatoris finished in fourth place.

His hot steak continued at the Players Championship, where McClure again recommended using Scheffler (if was still available) and Xander Schauffele. Both players were in contention until the end, with Scheffler coming out with the win and Schauffele finishing in second place. Then, at the Valspar Championship, McClure listed Cameron Young, who finished in second place, as his top OAD pick.

More recently, at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, McClure recommended using 50-1 longshot Alex Noren in One and Done pools. Noren would go on to be in contention until the end, before finishing in third place, two strokes off the lead! And at the PGA Championship, McClure targeted Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa, who finished in third and fourth places, respectively. He targeted Morikawa again at the Memorial Tournament, where Morikawa finished second.

Finally, at the U.S. Open, McClure's top two one and done picks were Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. DeChambeau finished in first place and McIlroy in second. And at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, McClure was backing Aaron Rai, who finished T2.

Now, McClure has his sights on the 2024 John Deere Classic and just revealed his optimal One and Done picks. They are a must-see for any player looking for an edge in their One and Done pool. You can only see McClure's John Deere Classic 2024 one and done picks at SportsLine .

Top 2024 John Deere Classic One and Done picks

One of McClure's top One and Done picks this week is Jordan Spieth. The 30-year-old PGA Tour veteran has been inconsistent in 2024, but remains easily the most accomplished player in the field. Spieth has won three major championships and is a win at the PGA Championship away from completing the career Grand Slam. He enters this week at No. 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

Spieth hasn't had the results he's become accustomed to this year, but he remains one of the best players in the world off the tee. He is currently ranked 16th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off-the-tee (0.466) and ninth in total driving. As he has proven countless times during his illustrious career, Spieth is a threat to win any tournament he enters.  You can see who else to back at SportsLine .

How to make John Deere Classic 2024 One and Done picks

McClure is also targeting another golfer for his 2024 John Deere Classic one and done picks who has a long track record of success against elite competition. This multiple time PGA Tour winner has the ability to win any tournament he enters, and is one of the most talented golfers in this field. You can find out who it is, and check out all of McClure's John Deere Classic one and done picks at SportsLine .

Who wins the the John Deere Classic 2024, and which golfers should you target for your one and done picks this week at TPC Deere Run? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike McClure's John Deere Classic 2024 one and done picks, all from the DFS pro who has nailed seven outright winners in 2024 , and find out.

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After viewership dip, LIV Golf has quietly stopped reporting TV ratings

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LIV Golf cameras capture the action in Tulsa.

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — No one seems ready to say where things are headed for LIV Golf. Apparently not even LIV Golf.

Six events and three months into its sophomore season, LIV has quietly stopped publicly reporting its TV ratings, reversing course on an early-season strategy, and a sign that the league could be struggling to generate sufficient viewer interest. The decision means there is no reputable viewership data on the upstart league, which has argued publicly available Nielsen data measuring its broadcasts is inaccurate .

LIV sources confirmed to the Hot Mic that the league would not be reporting viewership data from its U.S. broadcasts moving forward but declined to explain why. In LIV’s most recent ratings report in late March, the league showed audience numbers slumping by 24 percent week-over-week, from 537,000 average viewers in its season-opening broadcast in Mexico to 409,000 in its second event in Tucson, Ariz. LIV has conducted four events since Tucson, including a pair in Australia and Singapore that were shown on tape delay in the United States. LIV has not released data on any of those four events.

The decision marks a significant departure from the strategy outlined just months ago by the league’s chief media officer, Will Staeger. Days after LIV signed its agreement with the CW in January, Staeger told GOLF.com the league would “certainly” provide publicly available viewership information, adding public data was “critical to all of our plans.”

“I think being a new league is a process that requires commitment, but it also requires patience,” Staeger said then. “[2023] is about growing the knowledge of where you can watch us, and then growing the ratings. It’s about growing the viewership.”

Four months later, questions remain about the viability of the league’s broadcasts in the first year of a two-year media rights agreement with the CW. On Sunday, the network turned away an unknown number of potential viewers when affiliates in several major markets abruptly dropped LIV’s Tulsa coverage minutes before a three-way playoff featuring two of the tour’s biggest stars, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith. Later this year, the CW will air LIV’s team championship in Saudi Arabia on tape delay .

Financially, things aren’t much clearer. LIV’s agreement with the CW reportedly includes a revenue share in 2023, meaning both sides’ financial projections could be harmed by underperforming ratings. It is also believed that there are escalators in the second year of the CW deal tied to ratings targets.

Those in LIV’s orbit present a different picture — one in which a fledgling broadcast and partner need time to get off the runway. In many ways, that’s the story of LIV as golf turns to the PGA Championship.

“It all depends who you talk to,” Jon Rahm put it succinctly on Tuesday. “If you talk to a LIV player, this is going to be great, it’s only going to get better. You talk to people on the other side, in two years they’re going to be done. I really have no clue.”

Despite Nielsen restrictions on CW weekend ratings, LIV chief media officer Will Staeger tells me LIV will release audience data during the new season. "There will certainly be viewership information [offered]. It's critical to all our plans." — James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) January 20, 2023

Of course, without reliable ratings data, it’s impossible to know how LIV’s viewership is tracking. But if things are growing according to plan, the decision to halt public data would be counterintuitive, particularly considering LIV’s own contentions about data sourced from elsewhere. The league has said that widely available audience information from Nielsen presents an incomplete depiction of viewership. Those ratings, LIV says, miss a handful of big markets, like Chicago and Philadelphia where LIV is shown on non-CW networks. It’s unknown how many viewers are missed by Nielsen’s ratings, or if CW affiliates counted by Nielsen in those markets make up a considerable portion of LIV’s viewership.

“That’s why the numbers are different,” Staeger told GOLF in March . “Those [stations] aren’t measured in a lot of cases. We want to be thorough and make sure we have the right numbers.”

In short, it’s hard to know the specifics of LIV’s current viewership situation, but it’s easier to find out where things stand relative to the PGA Tour. LIV’s rivals on Tour have averaged more than 2 million viewers this season (2.295 million in nine events on CBS, 2.3 million on NBC, per Nielsen), and that includes weeks in which the two tours have butted heads. Even historic gains in LIV’s ratings would leave the league dwarfed by the Tour. Those numbers are notable, as is the fact that both Tour broadcast partners have been eager to share their own viewership data for most of the 2023 season.

Answering 11 burning questions about LIV Golf’s TV ratings vs. the PGA Tour

Ultimately, LIV is under no formal obligation to share its TV data, just as the public has no true claim to see it. Maybe, as is surely being argued within LIV, it’s best for the league not to entrench itself in a viewership battle with a rival positioned to win every week, irrespective of how the CW numbers are performing. But for a league that’s built its reputation around challenging the PGA Tour’s market share, the decision to withhold that data from the public will raise eyebrows.

Still, there remains a group that does have a claim to LIV’s viewership data: the advertisers, who will need that information to make a determination about spending precious ad dollars with the upstart tour. The full truth of LIV’s viewership situation won’t be known until we see how the ad market reacts to the data, but the implied truth of the league’s decision is hard to understand — even for those on the other side of golf’s ratings battle. When the topic surfaced Tuesday at Oak Hill, one CBS Golf employee offered a two-word reaction.

“F—ing unbelievable.”

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There‘s 1 glorious idea the masters should copy from wimbledon. i lived it, this inventive intern program is diversifying golf's workforce, missed putts, broken drivers, bad swing advice | monday finish, 2024 john deere classic: how to watch, tv coverage, streaming info, tee times, james colgan.

James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at [email protected].

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How to watch 2024 PGA Travelers Championship: ESPN+ schedule

While the Travelers Championship -- the last signature event of the year -- won't feature Rory McIlroy , it will include Scottie Scheffler . The No. 1 golfer in the world seeks his sixth PGA Tour win of the season. The Travelers will be held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, and will feature a $20 million total purse, including $3.6 million to the winner. Keegan Bradley looks to become the first player to win the Travelers in back-to-back years since Phil Mickelson in 2001-02.

Here are key facts to know about the 2024 event.

When is the Travelers Championship?

It runs Thursday to Sunday.

How can fans watch?

Fans can catch the tournament on ESPN+ via the ESPN streaming hub .

What is the schedule?

*All times Eastern

Thursday : Coverage starts at 7:30 a.m.

Friday : Coverage starts at 7:30 a.m.

Saturday : Coverage starts at 7:30 a.m.

Sunday : Coverage starts at 7:30 a.m.

There will be traditional PGA Tour live coverage each day with main feed, marquee group, featured groups and featured holes.

Which top players will be playing in the event?

▪︎ Xander Schauffele

▪︎ Viktor Hovland

▪︎ Ludvig Åberg

▪︎ Collin Morikawa

▪︎ Patrick Cantlay

How can fans access other golf content from ESPN?

Check out the ESPN golf hub pag e for breaking news , in-depth profiles , rankings , scores , schedules and more.

Rocket Mortgage Classic

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PGA Championship turns in surprising Sunday TV viewership numbers

Maddie Meyer/PGA of America

Television ratings for the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship probably don’t rank very high among the things that Brooks Koepka cares about. That’s different for the network that broadcasted that round, CBS, and the viewership numbers being reported from Sunday’s action at Oak Hill Country Club.

RELATED: Tiger Woods officially withdraws from the U.S. Open

According to Sports Business Journal and Sports Media Watch, CBS drew an average of 4.517 million viewers for Koepka's win on Sunday, the lowest number for a final round of a PGA Championship on CBS since 2008, when Padraig Harrington outlasted Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis at Oakland Hills for his third major title.

As compared to 2022, when Justin Thomas beat Will Zalatoris in a playoff at Southern Hills, the viewership average was down 14 percent from 5.27 million, which seems surprising given some of the similarities in the action that transpired. Last year, Thomas emerged from a pack that included Zalatoris, Cameron Young and Matt Fitzpatrick, in addition to Mito Pereira, who suffered a brutal collapse at the 72nd hole. In other words, the 2022 PGA had a lot of things going for it.

RELATED: Watch the moment Michael Block's caddie figured out just how much he made at the PGA

But one could say this year's PGA had a similar level of excitement brewing. You had Koepka completing his comeback tour—and the narrative of a LIV golfer trying to win a major—while battling a rising star in Viktor Hovland down the stretch. Scottie Scheffler made a Sunday charge, Bryson DeChambeau was lurking and Rory McIlroy hung around. Oh, and did we mention the fairytale story that was (and still is) Michael Block? To think that all those factors led to a 15-year low ratings number is quite stunning.

According to Sports Media Watch, the viewership average for Saturday's third round at Oak HIll was 3.22 million, down 11 percent from 2022 (3.62 million) and the lowest since 2017 (3.21 million).

These numbers are in contrast to the numbers for CBS from last month’s Masters, where the final round was the most-watched golf telecast on an U.S. network in five years. And the following week, the ratings for final round of the RBC Heritage (a designated event, mind you) on CBS were up 13 percent from 2022.

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Miles Russell, age 15, made his PGA Tour debut. It was oddly normal

DETROIT — Miles Russell’s pants don’t fit. He didn’t mean to show off his ankles during Thursday’s first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. It’s just, the inseam he was measured for recently no longer applies. He hit a growth spurt soon after and now measures 5-foot-7, but stuck with pants meant for a wee 5-6. His waist, meanwhile, remains near-nonexistent. At 120 pounds, he wears a 28-inch waistline “with a scrunched belt.”

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So there was Russell on Thursday, walking around Detroit Golf Club, flashing those ankles with each step.

Such is the life of a 15-year-old.

Russell made his PGA Tour debut at the Rocket Mortgage, shooting a 2-over 74. Born in 2009, he signed autographs for 7-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 15-year-olds and some adults. He took every swing with a PGA Tour Live cameras a few feet behind him. He held a press conference the day before his first round and afterward. He played from tees measuring 7,370 yards. He played in a field with 10 of the top 50-ranked players in the world.

And the strangest thing about it all?

It felt oddly normal.

This year has already seen two 16-year-olds make the cut on the PGA Tour — Kris Kim at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and Blades Brown at the Myrtle Beach Classic. Last year, 15-year-old Oliver Betschart survived a 54-hole qualifier to play in the Bermuda Championship, becoming the youngest player to play in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event in almost a decade. He was three months younger than Russell is now.

First birdie on TOUR for 15-year-old Miles Russell 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5tLfnf5HuW — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 27, 2024

Now it’s Russell at the Rocket Mortgage. In April, he played in the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic, shooting rounds of 68 and 66 to become the youngest player to make the cut in the developmental tour’s history. Headlines followed. Then Russell followed with rounds of 70 and 66 to finish T20. The winner, Tim Widing, was 11 years older than him.

Tournament organizers from the Rocket Mortgage took notice and contacted Russell following his performance at the Suncoast Classic, hoping to capitalize on the story. Because that’s what a tournament like the Rocket desperately needs — attention, however it can get it. Big names are scarce in Detroit, so compelling storylines are required. The Nos. 2, 4 and 5 ranked amateurs in the world — Jackson Koivun, Benjamin James and Luke Clanton — are all in this year’s field. Clanton is making his PGA Tour debut, as is Neal Shipley, the low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open who recently turned pro. As Shipley walked off the course on Thursday, he was told next week’s John Deere Classic, another non-elevated PGA Tour event, has a spot for him.

Those names are all at least in or out of college, though.

Russell just finished his freshman year of high school, even though he doesn’t attend a physical school. The Jacksonville Beach, Fla., native began playing at 2 years old, broke par at 6, and has been on a prodigious path ever since. He is home-schooled and already operating as a small business. He has an agent and holds Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals with TaylorMade and Nike.

Because 15 sounds so jarring, there’s the tendency for some to see Russell as a novelty.

In reality, this is all less and less uncommon.

Russell did not come to Detroit like some kid looking to high-five his heroes.

Rico Hoey, one of Russell’s playing partners on Thursday, was on the practice green after their round and still in a bit of disbelief. Now 28, he was trying to break 80 at Russell’s age. Coming into the first round, he assumed he and Pierceson Coody, a 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie with three Korn Ferry wins to his name, would need to keep things light and easy for the young star. Then they met him.

“As a 15-year-old, I’m sure I’d be pretty nervous out here, so we tried to make it easy on him, and make him feel comfortable, but, really, I don’t even know how much he needed that,” Hoey said. “He was cool. His short game is really good. He has a lot of length for his size. His game is just really good and he’s really calm.”

Some will always be inherently uncomfortable with young mega-watt talent being expedited to play among pros in any sport. But that’s never stopped it from happening. And golf appears to be revving more and more, and going younger and younger. It’s reasonable to expect someone soon emerging to surpass Michelle Wie West as the youngest player to ever tee it up in a PGA Tour event. She was 14 years, three months and seven days old when she played in the 2004 Sony Open.

What’s most eye-opening isn’t the ages, but how narrow the gap is between the kids and the pros. Russell is not some beefed-up bomber. He is instead elastic and has crafted a swing with his coach, former Korn Ferry player Ramon Bascansa, that generates enough clubhead speed to hang with the pros. He averaged 292 yards off the tee on Thursday, tied for 78th in the 156-man field.

But that doesn’t mean everything surrounding him isn’t still misfitting. He is technically not old enough to use Detroit Golf Club’s men’s locker room, though exceptions are made this week. He is not able to drive, let alone rent a car or check into a hotel alone. One group behind Russell’s, 36-year-old Rafael Campos played his round while ripping a few cigarettes — a vice that Russell can’t legally buy for another three years.

Afterward, Russell played along with questions about the experience, but was really only concerned with the golf. He talked about unforced errors and missing some makable puts. He said he learned watching Coody and Hoey how tour pros manage to “grind it out and shoot a couple under.” He said, sure, he was nervous to start the round. How much out of 10? “I’d probably give it a seven.” But sort of shrugged off the idea of being intimidated.

Russell’s voice was soft and he was obviously still a little peeved. A missed 3-footer on the final hole left him with a closing bogey.

“We live, we learn, we move on,” he said, sounding like someone who is not only used to playing on tour, but damn near expects to.

Maybe, for better or worse, that’s not so crazy anymore.

(Top photo: Raj Mehta / Getty Images)

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Brendan Quinn is an senior enterprise writer for The Athletic. He came to The Athletic in 2017 from MLive Media Group, where he covered Michigan and Michigan State basketball. Prior to that, he covered Tennessee basketball for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Follow Brendan on Twitter @ BFQuinn

Analysis: The easier path on the PGA Tour doesn't make it easy

The top 50 in the FedEx Cup last year were guaranteed entry into all the PGA Tour signature events with $20 million purses and elevated points

Jordan Spieth returns to the John Deere Classic for the first time since he won a playoff in 2015 . Just don’t get the idea this is some kind of nostalgia tour.

He needs the points.

Spieth started the year guaranteed starts in all eight of the PGA Tour’s signature events and finished third at Kapalua in the first one. But he has plunged all the way to No. 59 as he works through a wrist injury and at times has played practice rounds while on the phone for one of many meetings as a PGA Tour board member.

Time is running out. Five tournament weeks remain before the postseason, and while the top 70 advance to the FedEx Cup playoffs, the magic number is 50. That guarantees a spot in next year’s signature events with their $20 million purses and elevated points.

That’s the easier path. It doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Spieth is among 15 players who started the year with the advantage of playing all the signature events and now are outside the top 50 heading into the home stretch. One of those was Tyrrell Hatton, who really took the easy path by joining Saudi-funded LIV Golf with its no-cut $20 million events.

Rickie Fowler at No. 93 is in the lowest spot of those 14 players still on the PGA Tour. He is one year and one week removed from his Rocket Mortgage Classic victory. Since then, his best finish is 16th at the Tour Championship. In the signature events, his best is a tie for 18th in the RBC Heritage.

It’s a reminder that in this era of massive change on the PGA Tour — more money for fewer players — performance still matters.

There was so much hand-wringing about pandering to the stars last year that not enough attention was paid to Justin Thomas and Adam Schenk . One was a 15-time PGA Tour winner who had a stinker of a year and missed the playoffs. The other was a journeyman who cashed in at the right time and earned his way to the Tour Championship.

Thomas did well enough for so long that he didn’t fall far, and his world ranking in the top 30 got him into the signature events. He had top 12s in four of those events, along with a strong finish in The American Express and the PGA Championship, so he is No. 16 in the FedEx Cup.

Fowler is this year’s version of Thomas, minus the world ranking, although it’s not too early to speculate whether he will get some of the exemptions that went to Webb Simpson next year if he doesn’t turn it around quickly.

This year’s Schenk? Eight players outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup last year have won tournaments, a list ranging from Taylor Pendrith to Stephan Jaeger. Two players currently inside the top 30 got there without winning — Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Thomas Detry.

Another example is former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, who had no guarantee of signature events after a poor 2023 season. He won in the Dominican Republic. He had a pair of top 10s in regular PGA Tour events and a tie for eighth in the PGA Championship. Horschel got into one signature event based on his win, two others on an exemption. He took advantage only at the Memorial with a tie for 15th.

Horschel, 90th in the FedEx Cup a year ago, is at No. 46 and plans to play the final four tournaments on the schedule starting next week at the Scottish Open.

“These signature events are great for a multitude of reasons,” Horschel said. “But if you don’t play well, you’re behind the eight ball. And with the shorter season, we all knew it was going to be a sprint.”

Those events can go a long way, though. Sungjae Im is an example of that. The South Korean has three top 5s this year, all of them in signature events. That’s 60% of his points from three of the 18 tournaments he has played this year.

The system is not perfect.

Horschel was among those who realized immediately that winning a tournament — which should include the best perks — counts toward the “swing” list of 10 and five players who get into signature events, instead of a separate entry category. A few extra players in signature events isn’t going to hurt. Some tweaks are expected for next year.

His greater concern is Korn Ferry Tour graduates — the new blood each season — having enough access. None is among the top 70 at the moment, and only five are in the top 100. The further down the list of their priority ranking, the fewer the starts.

And that’s an indication that top-50 players aren’t just cherry-picking the signature events. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler has played four regular PGA Tour events, while PGA champion Xander Schauffele has played three.

Fewer fully exempt cards might be one solution. The PGA Tour must strike a balance of providing playing opportunities with creating tournaments with the best fields while keeping a path open for the next generation.

This isn’t a finished product. What hasn’t changed is good golf can go a long way.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf