Paige Spiranac has attacked the “money talk” that has crept into the golf world. She criticized the sport for being hesitant to explore new ideas in the face of dwindling viewership. Spiranac’s remarks tie into a 20% decline in Masters tournament viewership from last year, as only 9.589 million people tuned in to watch Scottie Scheffler win the coveted green jacket for the second time and win the $3.6 million prize. This is the lowest-ranked Masters since the victory of Hideki Matsuyama in 2021.
“People were turned off by all the money talk and the industry’s unwillingness to try new things. Some change needs to happen,” Spiranac said in her post on X. The golf influencer said that golf as a sport now calls for changes. The officials need to realize that fans want to see innovation and fresh ideas, not just players cashing mᴀssive checks. Scottie Scheffler may have won $3.6 million, but his victory was ultimately somewhat of an embarrᴀssment given the plummeting ratings.
Spiranac’s opinions are in line with those of a large portion of the golf community, who feel that the game has grown overly obsessed with money at the cost of the sport. The LIV Golf and the PGA Tour fans are now divided. It is one of the leading causes of the ratings drop. The sport sure is an “interesting spot” right now, with merger discussions, signature events, and other aspects.
The opinions come as a severe critique of the PGA Tour Commissioner’s management style, as he has overseen a consistent drop in viewership despite record prize money. Paige Spiranac is not the only one worried about the drop in viewership. World #2 and other Tour pros also agree with her.
Paige Spiranac echoes the ongoing viewership debate
Rory McIlroy voiced the risks ᴀssociated with the divided golf world and pointed out that this has worn out fans. He also mentioned that the constant back and forth can also make fans withdraw from the sport altogether. McIlroy said, “If you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20% across the board.” The Masters’ fiasco reiterated McIlroy’s remarks. Previous sinking ratings are not to be forgotten too.
This year’s THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrᴀss saw the lowest ratings since 2014 and a 15% decline from 2023. Yes, Scheffler’s stunning come-from-behind victory drew just 3.53 million viewers. Most people agree that this is due to the split in the game. Collin Morikawa also said in January that the broadcasting mannerism also needs to change.
As per pro, “I turn on golf on a Thursday if I play early. I turn it on, and I see three golf sH๏τs, and I question why… You can change the fact of seeing more golf sH๏τs, and that’s a big part of actually saying I want to go watch golf, right?”
The sharp drop in the audience at several of the Tour’s major events indicates that fans are not connecting with the current system. It’s time for the PGA Tour to prioritize the interests of the game over the never-ending chase for financial gain.
