"Not good for any of them", "Beat the PGA"- Fans react as LIV Golf gets more viewership than the BMW PGA Championship

LIV Golf Team Championship and the BMW PGA Championship took place recently on the same weekend, with the former aired on CW and the latter on Golf Channel. The LIV Golf event has garnered more viewership than the BMW PGA Championship.

LIV Golf Team Championship was the final event in the 2024 calendar of the Saudi-backed league. It was held at the Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, Texas on 20-22 September 2024. The BMW PGA Championship was held at the Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water, England from 17th to 22nd September 2024.

LIV Golf had a viewership of 128,000 on CW while the European event had 119,000 on Golf Channel. In fact, the LPGA Tour event of Kroger Queen City Championship, held on the same dates, gained better viewership than the BMW PGA Championship with 127,000 on the same channel.

When LIV Golf came into being, it was seen as a direct competitor to the PGA Tour. In the three years of its existence, it has received criticism about no one wanting to watch the events.

However, the new viewership count paints a different scenario. Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on this news. While some didn't feel the numbers were fair since the Wentworth event was held in Europe, others blamed it on the football season. Of course, there were some LIV Golf supporters reveling in the triumph.

"Again we are going to act like no one is streaming LIV. Cool cool cool," one fan commented.

"Wow LIV finally beat the PGA in ratings for once so impressive," commented another fan.

Some fans deemed the time zone difference between Europe and the US for the numbers. Some believed the European viewership numbers would show a different image.

"BMW was over by 12 pm EST… 9am on the west coast when most people aren’t even awake yet..These numbers are fraudulent. I bet over a million watched in the UK " one fan wrote.

"BMW wasn’t on in prime time in states was on early am and still near beat LIV," another added.

Most fans blamed the bad viewership on the current ongoing football season. NFL eats up a large viewership market in the US, where these numbers were recorded.

"American football is domestic king," one fan stated.

"Brother there could be a nuke heading straight for us and the president is on the tv telling us his goodbyes and i still ain’t turning off football on a Sunday," one fan broke down the NFL craze in the US.

Some fans also stated these viewership numbers were not good for either of the leagues.

"Really not good for any of them. LIV outdrawing Wentworth is probably notable though, especially going against football."

LIV Golf having more views than a PGA Tour event has evoked mixed reactions from fans. Most believe that the streaming numbers for LIV Golf would be higher and the viewership in Europe for the BMW PGA Championship would be much better than the US ratings. The tournament had broken the attendance record, with 114,285 fans coming to watch.

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Who won the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas?

Ripper GC (Source: Imagn)

Cameron Smith's Ripper GC won the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship held at the Maridoe Golf Club in Dallas, Texas. The All-Australian team beat Kevin Na's Iron Heads GC, and Dustin Johnson's 4Aces GC by three shots in an intense battle on Sunday.

Ripper GC ended 11-under while Iron Heads GC and 4Aces GC finished 8-under. Jon Rahm's Legion XIII settled for fourth place with 6-under. The fight between the four teams was nothing short of thrilling, as the leaderboard kept changing throughout the day. Finally, Ripper GC broke off from the group to secure a winning lead on the back nine in a two-hole stretch. The champion team recorded six birdies in a cumulative eight holes played.

Despite this, the other teams weren't very far away but at the end of the day, the small difference proved to be too much, as Ripper GC lifted the trophy. Captain Cameron Smith talked of the nail-biting final round, via the official LIV Golf website:

"Watching the leaderboard today was pretty stressful. I almost wanted to take my eye off it, but I couldn’t. I was so intrigued with what we had to do. At no point today did I feel like we were under the pump or had to do anything. I think there was a genuine feeling within the team that these guys are going to do the best."

Smith also appreciated his teammates for the win, reflecting on the bond that the four members share.

"To be a part of this is unreal, especially with these guys."

Ripper GC debuted on the tour last year and placed 7th.