Tiger Also Sets TV Rating Record

It didn’t matter that there was never a doubt who would win. The average overnight rating for Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Open was the highest ever for an Open--an 8.8 with a 21 share of the audience. In L.A., the numbers were 8.7/23 for Tiger Woods’ 15-stroke victory.

An overnight rating represents 48 of the nation’s largest markets, or 63% of the country. National ratings will be out later this week.

The record national rating for golf is a 14.1, set in 1997 when Woods won the Masters by 12 strokes.

The 8.8 for Sunday’s round, besides setting an overnight U.S. Open record, also represents an 11% increase over the 7.9 overnight for the dramatic final round last year, when Payne Stewart beat Phil Mickelson by one shot.