Rory McIlroy proved right on bleak prediction as golf fans begin to walk out

Rory McIlroy commented on the golf landscape earlier this year (Image: GETTY)

Rory McIlroy has been proved right, with golf television viewing figures nosediving in recent weeks. The Northern Irishman spoke out about the drop off in observers earlier this year.

The sport of golf has been divided in recent years due to the initiation of LIV Golf, with the entity launching in October 2021.

The PGA Tour initially suspended players who had joined LIV Golf but signed a framework agreement with the Saudi-backed circuit a year later.

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According to the Sports Business Journal, the PGA Tour averaged 2.2million viewers for its Sunday screenings in 2024 when Majors were removed. That is a 19 per cent drop from the 2.7m viewers the same slot had in 2023.

On Saturdays, the Tour earned 1.5m viewers, a 17 per cent decline on the 1.8m people tuning in last year.

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There were a number of reasons for the reduction in figures, with NFL coverage sometimes clashing with the golf and bad weather affecting a number of tournaments.

But another explanation could be the fact household names such as Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson were missing from the PGA Tour due to their involvement with LIV Golf. And fans of the sport may also be growing tired of the standoff between the two Tours.

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Rory McIlroy has been proved right, with golf television viewing figures nosediving in recent weeks (Image: GETTY)

McIlroy, who was formally on the PGA Tour’s policy board before quitting in November 2023, addressed golf viewing figures earlier this year.

And the four-time Major winner explained: “I would say the numbers on LIV aren't great either in terms of the people tuning in.

“I just think with the fighting and everything that's went on over the past couple years, people are just getting really fatigued of it and it's turning people off men's professional golf, and that's not a good thing for anyone.”

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He added: “It's going to be really interesting to see how the four Major championships do, or even the three because, put Augusta aside - I think that sort of lives in its own world.

“It will be really interesting to see how the Major championship numbers fare compared to the other bigger events because there's an argument to be made if the numbers are better and you've got all the best players in the world playing, then there's an argument to say, ‘Okay, we need to get this thing back together’.

“But on the flip side, if the numbers aren't as good, it's an argument to still say we need to put everyone back together because people are losing interest in the game even if they don't want to tune in to the four Major championships.

“Like that to me is not… That's where I said like things need a correction and things are unsustainable.”