The Match with Tiger and Rory dwindles in audience compared to previous years

Viewing figures provided by the Sports Business Journal showed that The Match with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas didn't attract as large an audience as in previous years.

As per a tweet by Golfweek's Adam Schupak, the viewership for last week's floodlit showdown between four PGA Tour stars stood at 1,379. This was just over 300 more than the third edition of the fixture.

The Match, named Champions for Change in November 2020, saw Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley beat Steph Curry and Peyton Manning at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Arizona. This occasion attracted an audience of 1,025 which is the lowest of any of the shows so far.

There were no viewing figures provided for Tiger vs Phil from 2018 as this was a pay-per-view event, but the one which brought the most eyes, all 5,667 of them, was Champions for Charity in May 2020.

Woods and Manning beat Mickelson and Tom Brady in the second playing of the event at Medalist Golf Club in Florida. The three best-performing renewals of The Match have all included athletes from other sports.

From @SBJ here are the TV ratings for the Match. Surprised that Tiger’s return didn’t cause a spike in viewership. Appears the cross-over stars from football and basketball bring in more than the pros. Need Michael Jordan not Jordan Spieth next time. pic.twitter.com/fftAjq2uT8

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) December 14, 2022

When Aaron Rodgers and Bryson DeChambeau beat Mickelson and Brady in The Match IV, and when Brady and Rodgers took on Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, both of these broadcasts brought in higher viewing figures than the latest staging on December 10.

The Match is certainly an intriguing concept. The main idea for it is to create a dynamic and atmosphere which is meant to entertain people, rather than be entertained by the quality of golf.

The prime example of this was Bryson DeChambeau vs Brooks Koepka in November 2021 at Wynn Golf Club which included Mickelson and Barkley on commentary.

Golf fans wanted and expected fireworks and explosive verbals after the pair's public spat of that year, but the viewing figures above suggest they weren't sufficiently entertained or motivated enough to tune in. It is the second-lowest in viewership.

There was much scrutiny over the inaugural Match, when Mickelson banked $9 million against Woods four years ago at Shadow Creek in Nevada. As this occasion was also PPV, it didn't strike the right note with some golf fans when you also consider the hefty prize purse too.

By including people from the world of basketball and American football, you have a fascinating cross-over. The match play nature of the event allows the very best golfers and their amateur opponents from other sports to compete on a level playing field.

With last week's event in Florida, it was great to see Woods back on the golf course and there were some enjoyable moments of camaraderie and sledging between the two teams over what turned into a 10-hole match due to Spieth and Thomas' dominance.

It will be interesting to see what Match No.8 will look like and if drastic changes are made to match the viewing figures of the second edition when they were at their peak.