Anthony Kim was an appealing winner of the AT&T National in 2008. But where television ratings are concerned, he was no match for tournament host Tiger Woods, who drew three times as many viewers Sunday as Kim’s victory pulled last year.
According to CBS, Sunday’s broadcast drew a 4.6 rating and an 11 share, up from a 1.5 rating and a 3 share last year. It was the highest rating for a non-major on CBS since the Buick Invitational in January, 2008, also won by Woods.
The tournament was an overwhelming success in person as well — all four days drew record crowds. From Tuesday-Sunday, 194,073, came to Congressional, an increase from 107,120 last year when Woods missed the tournament after undergoing knee surgery.
The tournament benefited from a perfect storm of events — beautiful weather, intriguing story lines, and the immensely-popular Woods at or near the top of the leaderboard all four rounds.
Another fortuitous turn was the July 3 government holiday, which contributed to a Friday attendance figure (46,932) usually reserved for a major championship.
The tournament also showcased the sport’s greatest closer ever, doing what he does best. It was the 46th time in 49 tries (94 percent) that Woods has won after going into the final round with the lead.
When asked afterward if his final-round success can be attributed to intimidation, Woods deadpanned: “Well, I’m 6-5, 250.”
