Masters final-round telecast ratings hit five-year high

The final-round Masters showdown between eventual victor Jon Rahm and LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka was the most-watched golf telecast on any network in five years, CBS said on Tuesday.

The telecast, during which Rahm came back from a two-shot deficit on Sunday to win his second major and reclaim the world No 1 ranking, averaged 12.06 million viewers, up 19 per cent compared with Scottie Scheffler's win at last year's Masters.

Ratings for Rahm's victory peaked at more than 15 million viewers from 7:00-7:15 p.m ET (2300-2315 GMT), as Rahm was putting the finishing touches on his four-shot victory over Koepka and Phil Mickelson.

The Masters has long been one of the most anticipated golf events, but the 2023 edition had added intrigue given it was the first since the start of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, which drew in a prominent group of players like Koepka and Mickelson.