Ludvig Aberg-led Genesis Invitational brings relief to PGA as it accumulates 3.4m viewers

Ludvig Aberg claimed victory at the closely contested 2025 Genesis Invitational. The event, which was relocated to Torrey Pines, gave a boost to the PGA Tour's recent viewership struggles.

Aberg, who started the final round three strokes behind, bounced back with a strong performance, hitting birdies on four of the last six holes. He sealed the deal with a six-under 66 and a total of 12-under par. He edged out Maverick McNealy by a single stroke and marked his second PGA Tour victory.

Aberg's victory also came with an upturn in the Tour's viewership numbers. NUCLR GOLF shared this news in an X post on February 19. It read:

"RATINGS— CBS saw 3.4M viewers for the final round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, up 5% from last year and making the event the highest rated non-major since the 2024 Players Championship. (Via @JoshACarpenter/X)"

In 2024, the tournament's final round averaged 3.2 million views, down 5% from 2023's 3.4 million. The final round of the 2022 edition had 2.6 million viewers, a significant drop from 2021's 3.6 million. This trend in 2025 appears to be encouraging, given the overall decline in PGA Tour viewership in recent years.

The 2024 regular season averaged 2.8 million viewers for Sunday broadcasts. Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg's performance in overcoming a three-stroke deficit seemingly captivated the audience.

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Ludvig Aberg's impressive performance at Genesis Invitational despite health challenges

Ludvig Aberg's victory at the Genesis Invitational especially made waves due to his recent health conditions. Just weeks before the event, he withdrew from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am due to a severe stomach illness. He lost a significant amount of weight due to this. Reflecting on this, Aberg interacted with the media after his triumph; he said:

"It's very reassuring to know that I can go from where I was a couple weeks ago to winning a tournament in a sort of quick turnaround."

Maverick McNealy, who led for some time during the final round after eight birdies in the first 11 holes, finished with 64. Despite missing out on the winning title, McNealy's performance has boosted his hopes of playing in the Ryder Cup, moving him into the top five for Team USA.

The tournament host, Tiger Woods, who withdrew from the event following the passing of his mother, Kultida Woods, was present at the final round and congratulated Aberg on his win. Woods greeted Aberg on the 18th green and congratulated him with a handshake. He also wished him in an X post.

"Congratulations to Ludvig Aberg on winning the Genesis Invitational, thank you to @GenesisUSA and all the players who participated this week. To the city of San Diego, thank you for the hospitality at Torrey."

After winning the Genesis Invitational, Ludvig Aberg is gearing up for events like the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship.