‘Tiger Effect’ boosts TV ratings at PGA Championship

The “Tiger Effect” was in full force for the PGA Championship’s final round on Sunday.

Live coverage of Tiger Woods’ battle with eventual champion Brooks Koepka drew a 6.1 rating, up 69% compared to the average household audience for the same event one year ago, according to CBS Sports. It also marked the highest rating for the final round of a PGA Championship since 2009, the network said.

After years of battling injuries and difficulties in his personal life, Woods shot a 64 on Sunday, his best-ever performance in the final round of a major tournament. The 42-year-old golf legend finished the tournament in second place, shooting 14-under par across all four rounds and two strokes behind Koepka.

“I had to kind of figure this out on my own, and it's been really hard, it's a lot harder than people think,” Woods said after the event, according to ESPN. “And I'm just very pleased at what I've done so far, and now to be part of the Ryder Cup conversation, going from where I've come from to now in the last year, it's been pretty cool."

Final viewership figures for this year’s PGA Championship are expected later Monday afternoon.

Woods has earned five top-10 finishes in the 14 events he’s played in 2018. He is now ranked 26th in the official World Golf Ranking, after ranking 656th at the start of the golf season.