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Despite a historic win for Scottie Scheffler, fans just weren't watching the Masters as much as they have in the past. There were 20% fewer viewers than in 2023 according to reports.
It's arguably the biggest tournament in the sport, but fans seemed to tune out during that weekend. Paige Spiranac has offered a theory as to why.
Spiranac, a former pro golfer, tweeted:
"Golf is in an interesting spot right now. People turned off by all the money talk and the industry’s unwillingness to try new things. Some change needs to happen."
Her take isn't an unpopular one. Many pundits and analysts have stated that the desire for more and more money, which has been part of some decision-making in the sport lately, has affected fans. Even golfers have agreed that the current status of the sport is unsustainable.
Whether it's the PGA Tour or LIV Golf, the financial aspect of the sport has never been more prevalent. LIV Golf has signed golfers for exorbitant contracts and offers the chance to make a lot of money even if they finish last place in a tournament.
In response, the PGA Tour has infused its tournaments with cash. The Masters prize purse this year, which was $20 million, is up from even last year. Even that purse isn't the biggest, as the Players Championship offered a $25 million purse.
With players changing tours and signing for these incredible contracts and rumors persisting around those who haven't, money seems to be the focus in the sport, and Paige Spiranac believes that's a major disappointment for fans.
Max Homa shares Paige Spiranac take
Former LPGA Tour player Paige Spiranac isn't the only person who believes fans are tired of what's going on in golf. PGA Tour pro and third-place finisher at the Masters Max Homa shares that idea, too.
He said that he has experienced fatigue with the sport himself, listing the issues as "garbage" that are presently affecting the game. He said the on-site experiences have been great, citing the Players Championship, the Masters and other tournaments. There's been no problem there, but there is one somewhere else.
Homa said:
"Yet on the internet and what I'm seeing with those numbers and all that, it does seem like yeah, I would imagine fans have fatigue.
"They probably should have fatigue. I don't know why they'd want to care about how much money we're making and how much more money we want to make. It's quite nauseating."
He continued, saying that a solution might be coming soon and that it might help solve the issues and make the sport better as a whole:
"I was really inspired by the hope and plan to make it better for the fans. I think we hit this year-and-a-half- or two-year rut as both golfers and golf leagues that was just about making the players happy, and unfortunately and quite obviously the fans were not benefitted by that."
Both the PGA Tour and PIF are trying to come to some sort of agreement on how to move forward. It seems that they understand what's at stake for fans who might not have watched the Masters.
