The PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing has produced solid ratings for CBS Sports thus far.
LA JOLLA, Calif. — CBS Sports continued its strong start to the 2025 golf season last week at TPC Scottsdale.
The network averaged 2.874 million viewers during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open, which saw Belgian Thomas Detry lap the field and win by seven. Detry’s victory also marked the first win of his PGA Tour career. Coverage peaked at 3.790 million viewers per a CBS Sports spokesperson.
This year’s ratings increased by 21 percent compared to last year’s WM Phoenix Open, which unfortunately bled into the Super Bowl. Nick Taylor defeated Charley Hoffman in a two-hole playoff, and by the time the Canadian had clinched the title, the first quarter between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers was almost complete.
CBS did not run into that issue this year, as Detry closed the tournament out in grand style. He almost recorded an ace on the 16th hole, slamming the door shut on David Berger, Michael Kim, and other contenders with only a couple of holes to play.
The 2025 WM Phoenix Open marks the second straight week in which CBS saw year-over-year increases in viewership. The final round telecast of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am averaged 3.33 million viewers, making it the most-watched final round of any PGA Tour event dating to March 2024, when Scottie Scheffler stormed from behind to win The Players Championship.
Overall, PGA Tour coverage on CBS is up 36 percent compared to last year at this point, which should please network executives and tour brass in Ponta Vedra Beach.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
