Rory McIlroy's thrilling victory in the 2025 Masters, winning a one-hole playoff over Justin Rose, was a riveting sports experience and plenty of people tuned in for it.
CBS announced on Monday that Sunday's final round — during which McIlroy gained and lost the lead while battling with Rose, Bryson DeChambeau and Ludvig Åberg — drew the highest rating for a golf telecast since 2018.
Sunday's telecast averaged 12.707 viewers, according to CBS. That's up 33% from last year when Scottie Scheffler had a dominant win over Åberg that lacked the drama of McIlroy's victory. (And the ratings reflected the missing intrigue.) Viewership peaked between 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. ET when the tournament went to a playoff hole.
CBS Sports on Sunday delivered the most-watched final round of the Masters since 2018, as Rory McIlroy won in a playoff to capture his first green jacket along with golf’s career grand slam: pic.twitter.com/72JWrmZ8B6
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) April 14, 2025
That seven-year span includes the 2019 Masters, when Tiger Woods won after coming back from a back condition that threatened his career. That final round was also played much earlier in the day, moved up by a few hours due to impending severe weather.
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