Apparently, Golf Fans Want to See Tiger; Ratings Plummet for British Open

During the Open Championship Final Round Live Blog, I wondered if Padraig Harrington's mind-blowing back nine on his way to back-to-back Claret Jugs was more impressive than Tiger Woods hobbling around Torrey Pines for 91 holes for his 14th major victory at Torrey Pines last month.

i was quickly dismissed as a heretic -- and rightly so, upon reflection -- and the ratings support the notion that an Eldrick-less tournament is one with fewer viewers. According to the Los Angeles Times, the overnight ratings for ABC's final round British Open coverage Sunday fell 14.6%, from a 4.1 to a 3.5.

The final round Buick Open ratings -- a tournament Tiger also usually plays -- dropped 12 percent, and the AT & T National -- Wood's second annual event -- saw ratings plummet 48 percent during the fourth round from a year ago.

None of this is good news, despite the intriguing British Open story lines of Greg Norman trying to hold it together at age 53, and Padraig Harrington coming through to win his second consecutive Open title.

But with the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup -- two of pro golf's biggest titles -- still on the table, and both without Woods, you can be sure the PGA of America is keeping its fingers crossed for both of its prime properties.

It's amazing, actually. I figured the ratings would be down, but not by almost 15 percent. I don't see things changing anytime soon, though; the PGA Championship is the red-headed stepchild among the four majors and the U.S. hasn't been competitive in the Ryder Cup since last century.

So, yeah, hurry back, Tiger.