Tiger’s Slump Doesn’t Rate Well

Phil Mickelson versus David Toms is not Tiger Woods versus anyone.

The preliminary overnight TV rating for the final round of the PGA Championship Sunday on CBS was a 6.4 with a 14% share of the audience.

That’s a 36% drop from the 10.0/23 for the final round last year, when Woods beat Bob May in a three-hole playoff.

In 1999, when Woods also won, CBS drew overnight numbers of 7.7/18.

But CBS wasn’t complaining about the ratings for Toms’ victory over Mickelson.

Besides the last two years, the only other PGA Championship final round that got a higher overnight rating was in 1993, when Paul Azinger beat Greg Norman in a playoff. It earned a 6.6/17.

“It ranks as the highest-rated final round, without a playoff or Tiger Woods contending, since 1986,” CBS Sports President Sean McManus said.

Sunday’s rating peaked at 9.2/18. In Los Angeles, the average was a 6.0/15 and the peak a 9.9/24.

Overnight ratings cover the nation’s 51 largest markets, about 60% of the population. National ratings are expected today.