Rory McIlroy drew record US television ratings for the final round of the 90th Masters Tournament, where he secured a historic second consecutive title.
CBS Sports, the tournament's US broadcaster, said on Wednesday that the final round averaged about 14 million viewers, the highest figure in 11 years since Jordan Spieth's victory in 2015.
The figure represents an increase of roughly 8 percent compared with last year's tournament, when McIlroy first donned the Green Jacket. At the moment he clinched the title, viewership peaked at 20 million, the highest since 2013, according to CBS Sports.
Despite the strong ratings, the quality of the broadcast drew criticism. The New York Post reported that CBS Sports faced backlash online for missing key moments late in the round. In particular, it noted that McIlroy's shot on the 18th hole was not properly shown, and the broadcast failed to clearly capture the moment his final putt dropped.
McIlroy won the tournament, held at Augusta National Golf Club, with a total score of 12-under-par 276, edging Scottie Scheffler (11-under 277) by one stroke to claim back-to-back titles.
He became only the fourth player to win consecutive Masters titles, joining Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90), and Tiger Woods (2001-02).
This article was produced from news reports with the assistance of AI. — Ed.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
