NBC drew its strongest audience for the Players Championship in five years, averaging 4.4 million viewers for Sunday’s final round, up 15% from last year’s rain-delayed showdown. Cam Young claimed the tournament’s top prize, while No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Rory McIlroy were out of contention, finishing T22 and T46, respectively.
Viewership peaked at 7.1 million between 5:45 and 6 p.m. ET, highlighting strong interest despite the absence of the top-ranked stars. Saturday’s third-round coverage averaged 3.1 million viewers, up 13% from 2025, marking NBC’s most-watched Players Championship coverage since 2021, when Justin Thomas secured victory in front of 4.6 million viewers.
The debate over whether the Players Championship should be considered a major tournament continues, though PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has downplayed the discussion. Ratings-wise, the event still trails the three U.S.-based majors in 2025:
- Masters: 12.71 million viewers (CBS)
- U.S. Open: 5.4 million viewers (NBC)
- PGA Championship: 4.76 million viewers (CBS)
- Open Championship: 4.1 million viewers (NBC)
For context, the Players Championship final round averaged 3.6 million viewers in 2025, 3.5 million in 2024, and 4.1 million in 2023. Last year’s Tour Championship drew 4.49 million viewers on NBC, up 34% from 2024, as Tommy Fleetwood captured his first PGA Tour win and the $10 million FedExCup.
Despite Scheffler and McIlroy missing the title, NBC’s coverage demonstrates sustained audience interest in golf’s flagship events, suggesting the Players Championship continues to grow as a marquee event for viewers.