CBS delivered the most-watched final round of the Masters since 2018 as fans flocked to see Rory McIlroy finally win and capture the green jacket.
McIlroy endured a roller-coaster final day at the Masters but emerged victorious to become just the sixth player in history to achieve a career grand slam. His win at the Masters was also the Northern Irishman’s first major title since the 2014 PGA Championship. CBS reporter Amanda Balionis, meanwhile, had a telling two-word response to McIlroy winning the Masters. Balionis also enjoyed a sit down interview with McIlroy shortly after his win.
Entering Sunday as the leader, McIlroy held a comfortable lead but collapsed down the back nine at Augusta. He suffered numerous bogeys, including on the 18th as he missed a putt to win en route to an 11-under par finish.
In a tense playoff against Justin Rose, McIlroy followed his tee shot with a sublime second effort that landed on the green and spun back near the hole. After Rose missed a birdie effort, McIlroy tapped in and immediately collapsed to the Augusta green overcome with emotion.
His thrilling win, which saw him join Tiger Woods as the only men to complete a career grand slam in the last 59 years, was watched by millions on CBS. The epic final round averaged 12.71 million viewers – an increase of 33 percent over the 2024 Masters audience of 9.59 million who saw Scottie Scheffler win for a second time.
Coverage peaked during the quarter-hour when McIlroy secured his victory in the playoff against Rose; 19.54 million viewers were tuned in for the sudden-death moment. Sunday’s final round of the Masters was the most-watched golf telecast on any network in seven years.
(Image: Getty Images)
Heading into the day, the final round of the Masters was being billed as a rematch between McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. The pair clashed in the 2024 U.S. Open, with McIlroy agonizingly missing close putts on the final three holes as DeChambeau captured his second major title.
Given the roller-coaster that followed with the incredibly popular McIlroy spearheading an emotional pursuit of destiny, CBS earned its largest final-round audience since Patrick Reed’s tight win over Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth in 2018. The figures show how invested golf and sports fans were in McIlroy’s chase for immortality.
Now, with the burden of history lifted, the 35-year-old is chasing more titles. He told BBC Sport: “Getting the Masters, the career Grand Slam, the fifth major, getting all that out of the way. I think it will allow me to play with a lot more freedom. I really do think it’s going to free me up. It’s been a long time coming.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
