The 2026 American Express tournament drew significantly higher TV viewership than the previous year, marking a strong start to the PGA Tour season. Scottie Scheffler claimed victory by four strokes, contributing to the surge alongside factors like winter weather and rising star Blades Brown. This momentum continues as Brooks Koepka returns at the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open.
The PGA Tour kicked off 2026 with impressive television numbers at the American Express, held in La Quinta, California. According to Sports Business Journal, the event saw a 125% increase in four-day total viewership compared to 2025. Saturday's third round averaged 883,000 viewers on Golf Channel, a 284% jump and the highest-rated third round since 2006. The final round on Sunday drew 617,000 average viewers, up 127%, even as NFL conference championships aired with lower audiences than in recent years. Contributing to the boost were severe winter weather across the U.S., keeping viewers indoors, and compelling storylines featuring 18-year-old prodigy Blades Brown among the contenders and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler's dominant win—his 20th PGA Tour victory by four strokes. Scheffler averaged 617,000 viewers, a notable improvement despite competing against major NFL events. This success follows a banner 2025 season for CBS, which reported its most-watched PGA Tour coverage in seven years. As the Tour enters the Brian Rolapp era, emphasis is on enhancing broadcasts through better access and storytelling. Rolapp, former NFL media executive, brings expertise in media rights and production. CBS Sports president David Berson highlighted ongoing discussions: “A lot of our conversations [with Rolapp] about content innovation and coverage innovation revolve around access and what we can do to continue to tell better stories.” Innovations like walk-and-talk interviews during rounds are now standard, providing context that elevates the slower-paced sport. Looking ahead, Brooks Koepka, five-time major winner and recent LIV Golf participant, returns to PGA Tour competition at this week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. ESPN will air live coverage of the first two rounds for the first time in two decades, with CBS handling the weekend. Meanwhile, broader schedule changes are under consideration by Rolapp and the Future Competition Committee, led by Tiger Woods, to increase 'scarcity' and boost fields and viewership. Woods noted: “We’re trying to figure out what is the best schedule possible so we can create the best fields and have the most viewership and also the most fan involvement.” CBS executives, involved in the process, remain optimistic. Rory McIlroy expressed concerns about a potentially condensed calendar starting after the Super Bowl and ending in August: “That seems very condensed to me. Seems like a lot of golf in a pretty short period of time.” Despite such views, stars like Scheffler and Koepka drive ratings, as Berson affirmed: “We see viewership increases when big names and stars are playing.”
