The Tiger Woods Effect: Sky’s the limit for TV ratings, Masters odds and ticket prices

Tiger Woods, as even his harshest critics must concede, brings fans to the course, puts fannies in recliners, and causes gamblers to lose their minds.

And when he’s in contention, as he was at last week’s Honda Classic until the Bear Trap snared him in Sunday’s finale, you can almost hear TV executives giggling with glee, oddsmakers raking in bets on Woods’ chances at the Masters, and badge purveyors counting the cash as ticket prices for that Augusta event in April soar.

TV ratings skyrocket

CBS could not have asked for a better year for the event’s traditional telecaster, NBC, to cover the Olympics. With Woods in the hunt for all four rounds, the network enjoyed its highest viewership and ratings in five years.

Jim Nantz, the voice of the Masters, called the shots over the weekend, as Sunday’s final-round coverage averaged four million viewers — up 43 percent from last year. That number made the Honda Classic finale CBS’ most-watched in six years.

CBS was not the only beneficiary of the Woods Effect. Golf Channel’s final-round lead-in coverage of the Honda averaged a whopping 1.6 million TV watchers to become GC’s most-watched pre-broadcast since the 2013 Farmers Insurance Open (which Woods won), and the fourth-most watched GC lead-in telecast on record (from 2008-2018).

In addition, despite several athletic competitions vying for eyeballs, sports enthusiasts made Golf Channel the No. 1 cable sports network from 1 p.m.-3:15 p.m. ET by 103 percent. And that’s while other networks aired NASCAR, the Winter Olympics, and the NBA.

Such numbers would have come as no surprise to the winner of the event, who acknowledged that, while he had a few spectators following him, the guy who came in 12th was the main attraction. Indeed, even before the Honda began, Golf Channel estimated attendance was up 25 percent, thanks to Woods.

“It was a good gallery, a good crowd, but it wasn’t obviously anything big. It wasn’t anything remotely close to Tiger’s,” Justin Thomas said Sunday after defeating Luke List in a playoff. “But he fully deserves that and he is the needle. He moves the needle.

“He’s the reason probably why the attendance was as high as it was,” Thomas added. “They weren’t coming out here to watch Luke List and Justin Thomas. They were coming out here to watch Tiger, so I don’t blame them. I’d go watch him, too, instead of me.”

Woods’ Masters odds on the upswing

Though he has yet to announce he’ll play the Masters, there’s been no mystery about Woods’ intentions since he started his official comeback at last month’s Farmers Insurance Open and continued it at Riviera.

“Same as Torrey, same as L.A., same here, I’m just building towards April,” Woods said after scoring a final-round even-par 70 at the Honda. “That’s what I told you guys at the very outset, I’m trying to get myself ready for that and I feel like I’m right on track for that.”

The odds of Woods capturing his fifth green jacket rose significantly after his impressive performance at the Honda. The odds keep jumping around, depending on how Woods fares in each of the tournaments he plays.

Ahead of his first start in 301 days, at December’s Hero World Challenge, Woods was a 66-1 long shot to win the Masters. Even that was crazy, considering his lack of competitive reps up to that point, but his opening-round 3-under put him three shots off the lead and into the good graces of gamblers, as several sports books listed him as 33-1 at Augusta.

Woods’ chances of earning his 15th major title in April at Augusta surged to 20-1 at Irish bookmaker Paddy Power after a sizzling start to his round two at the Hero. His missed cut at the Genesis Open moved Woods to 25-1 but he’s making his way back among the favorites after his stellar showing at PGA National.

While Westgate Las Vegas Superbook and golfodds.com put Woods’ Masters odds at 16-1, BetOnline.ag has him tied with Jason Day and Justin Thomas at 12-1.

At BetOnline, only Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy are ahead of Woods.

(Graphic: BetOnline.ag)

With the way McIlroy flamed out at the Honda (T59), and the pressure (internal and external) to complete his career grand slam at Augusta, we might be tempted to move Woods ahead of the four-time major champion.

Following the Honda, and with little clarity on where Woods will make his final pre-Augusta start (our money’s on the Arnold Palmer Invitational from March 15-18), it will be interesting to see how the line moves heading into Augusta.

Masters ticket prices may be priciest ever

Barring an unforeseen setback, Woods will make his first start since 2015 at Augusta come April 5. With anticipation growing over Woods’ expected Masters appearance, ticket prices on the secondary market are high and have the potential to be the most expensive ever, according to TicketIQ.com data.

When Woods played the Masters in 2013 and was in contention over the weekend (he finished T4), a single-day ticket (or badge, in Augusta nomenclature) for a tournament round was $2,161.72, TicketIQ noted. That number dropped to $1,513.46 for Woods’ most recent Masters start three years ago, when he finished T17.

While a single-day ticket for this year’s tourney has jumped to $2,948.42, it will cost Augusta spectators (er, patrons) a bank account-busting $14,250 for a week-long badge.

(Graphics: TicketIQ.com)

Budget-conscious fans may opt to pay for practice rounds, with Monday offering the most wallet-friendly price of $722.98 for a single admission. Individual tickets for Wednesday, when golfers and families play the annual Par 3 Contest, are going for $2,041.58.

For the actual event, a patron will pay the most for a Thursday ticket ($4,837.42), with prices dropping through Sunday, according to TicketIQ. Of course, ticket prices are subject to change once Woods announces he’ll play and if he is in contention for the finale.