The Masters Sees Best Final Round Overnight Rating Since '15

CBS yesterday drew its best overnight rating for the final round of The Masters since ’15, as Patrick Reed held off Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth for his first Green Jacket. Yesterday's final round from 2:00-7:00pm ET drew an 8.7 overnight, up 14% from a 7.6 last year for Sergio Garcia’s playoff win over Justin Rose (HUT levels much lower on corresponding Sunday in ’17 due to nice weather). This year, which also featured Spieth finishing third and Tiger Woods playing in his first Masters since 15, also is up from an 8.5 two years ago on CBS, when Danny Willett won following a Spieth collapse. The final round in ’15 drew a 9.6 overnight as Spieth captured his first Green Jacket, with Phil Mickelson tying for second and Woods fading on Sunday. Minneapolis-St. Paul was the top market for CBS yesterday, drawing a 15.8 local rating, followed by Greenville-Spartanburg (14.0) and Ft. Myers-Naples (13.5). Meanwhile, CBS on Saturday drew a 5.7 overnight, up 24% from ’17 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

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EYE EXAM: In Tampa, Tom Jones writes CBS' Masters coverage "feels no different than it did 10 years ago, except for some technological advances." That is "not necessarily a criticism, as CBS "allows the golf to be the star." However, the net "could have done a better job" pointing out how Reed is "not everyone's cup of tea, not only among fans but fellow players." There are some "interesting controversies in Reed's past and CBS mostly ignored that" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/9). 

WELCOME TO THE NEW AGE: THE BIG LEAD's Kyle Koster noted CBS' Nick Faldo quoted lyrics from rock band Imagine Dragons immediately after Reed made his tournament-winning putt, one of the "most perplexing choices I've seen made on a stage of this magnitude." Reed's affinity for the band was "mentioned earlier in the broadcast," and it is "one thing to bring it up." Koster: "It's another to double-down during what will likely be the biggest moment of Reed's professional life. ... This was such an unusual choice that it rose to the level of distraction" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 4/8). Charlotte-based WFNZ-AM's Chris Kroeger: "Can we circle back to the fact that Nick Faldo quoted an Imagine Dragons lyric as Patrick Reed won The Masters? Like...what was that?" Golf writer Robert Lusetich: "Faldo and Jim Nantz breaking out their Imagine Dragons knowledge is ... unique." SB Nation's Peter Bukowski: "Instead of 60 minutes, CBS will now have a dramatic reading of Imagine Dragons’ entire discography by Sir Nick Faldo" (TWITTER.com, 4/8).

RETURNING EACH SPRING: Verne Lundquist once again was part of CBS' broadcast team for The Masters, and in Austin, Kirk Bohls notes Lundquist has "recovered nicely from back surgery in which two rods were placed in his back for stabilizing and has lost a lot of weight" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 4/9). THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch writes it was "great to hear Verne Lundquist boom out 'Yes!,' when Jordan Spieth made his epic birdie at No 16 on Sunday" (THEATHLETIC.com, 4/9). Meanwhile, GOLF DIGEST's John Huggan profiled the BBC's Peter Alliss, who was celebrating his 50th year "commenting on the Masters." Alliss in the U.K. is known as the "voice of golf," though he has "more than once fallen foul of the professionally and seemingly permanently offended PC-brigade in his homeland" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 4/7).