CBS averages 5.76M for PGA final round

CBS drew 5.76 million viewers for Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship, according to Sports Media Watch and Golfmagic. The audience was up 21% from the 4.76 million who watched Scottie Scheffler’s victory in 2025, and it was the tournament’s biggest final-round audience since Phil Mickelson won in 2021. Aaron Rai secured the title on May 17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, after starting the day in a tightly packed leaderboard. Sports Media Watch said the telecast averaged a 3.1 rating and peaked at 8.02 million viewers. ### How big was the audience compared with recent PGA Championships? Sunday’s 5.76 million viewers made this the most-watched final round of the PGA Championship in five years, Sports Media Watch reported. The outlet said the telecast topped last year’s final round by 21% in viewers and 24% in ratings. The 2025 comparison mattered because Scheffler’s win at Quail Hollow had become a benchmark for a modern PGA Championship final round on CBS. Golfmagic, citing CBS Sports viewing data, reported that Rai’s victory cleared that mark and delivered the event’s best final-round audience since 2021. ### What happened on the course that may have helped ratings? Aronimink produced a crowded Sunday leaderboard. The PGA Championship’s official recap said 22 players began the final round within four shots of the lead, giving CBS a more volatile finish than a runaway tournament would. Aaron Rai then separated himself late. The PGA Championship said the Englishman won the 108th edition of the major at 9-under par, while CBS Sports’ live coverage said he played his final 10 holes in 6-under to take control. That gave the broadcast a back-nine finish with multiple contenders still in range before Rai pulled ahead. ### Who is Aaron Rai, and why was the finish notable? Aaron Rai won his first major championship on May 17. The PGA Championship and CBS Sports both described the victory as a breakthrough result for the 31-year-old Englishman. CBS Sports’ live coverage said Rai became the first English golfer to win the PGA Championship since 1919. Golfmagic said his victory came with CBS posting its strongest final-round audience for the event since Mickelson’s 2021 win, tying the player result directly to the television number that followed. ### Was the gain only about Rai, or also about the leaderboard? Sports Media Watch said an “unusually bunched leaderboard” helped lift the audience. That description matches the tournament’s Sunday setup, with a large group of players entering the day with a chance to win. The comparison with 2025 also points to the shape of the competition. Scheffler’s previous PGA Championship win was a clearer front-runner story, while this year’s final round offered more movement and more players in contention deep into the telecast, according to Sports Media Watch and the PGA Championship recap. ### What comes next for the biggest names from the week? Scottie Scheffler is scheduled to play next at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas. Golf Channel said he returns to TPC Craig Ranch as defending champion after setting a PGA Tour scoring record of 253 there last year. The PGA Championship itself is now in the books after its May 11-17 run at Aronimink. CBS’ 5.76 million average and 8.02 million peak will stand as the first television benchmark from the event as attention shifts to the next PGA Tour stop and to whether golf’s run of stronger major audiences continues through the rest of the season.