World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler picked up his 14th TOUR title and 1st win this year
Scottie Scheffler reminded the golf world why he is the current World No. 1 with a commanding, record-equaling victory at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, held from May 1–4 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. Playing close to home—and sleeping in his own bed all week—Scheffler shot rounds of 64-64-62-63 to finish at 31-under-par 253, matching the PGA TOUR’s 72-hole scoring record.
It was his 14th PGA TOUR title and his first of the 2025 season, coming just two weeks ahead of the 2nd Major of the year, the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, in North Carolina, from May 15-18—an event already brimming with anticipation due to the ever-evolving LIV vs. PGA narrative.
Scheffler narrowly missed out on breaking the all-time scoring record due to a bogey at the 17th and a missed birdie putt on 18. The runner-up finish by South African Erik van Rooyen and the resurgent closing-round 9-under 62 from former World No. 1 Jordan Spieth, who climbed to the 4th position, were relegated to side notes in a week dominated by Scheffler.
This was Scheffler’s first victory since the TOUR Championship last year. An injury early this season, slowed down his start to 2025.
Scheffler, Rory, Bryson: The Big Three at Quail Hollow
The comparison between LIV and PGA TOUR players is at a visible high as the second Major of the year approaches. With Bryson DeChambeau winning the LIV Golf Korea event in the same week Scheffler was rewriting PGA records, and Rory McIlroy having recently completed his long-awaited career Grand Slam, the stars have aligned for a marquee showdown.
With 15 full-time LIV players set to compete at Quail Hollow, the anticipation and intrigue is about a deeper divide in men’s professional golf—between those who left and those who stayed.
Despite LIV’s global schedule and occasional success stories, the numbers continue to paint a clear picture of the viewership gap:
- LIV’s telecast from Mexico (won by Joaquín Niemann) drew an average of 110,000 viewers on FS1.
- In the same time window, the PGA TOUR averaged 1.63 million viewers on CBS—over 15x higher.
Even factoring in differences in broadcast reach, network vs. cable exposure, and weather-impacted coverage, the disparity highlights the continued strength of the PGA TOUR as the premier platform in golf.
Recent wins from Scheffler, McIlroy, and Thomas have bolstered the Tour’s narrative—while LIV, despite high-quality players, still functions more like a parallel league with fewer hooks into global audiences.
Viewership trends at Majors:
The 2025 Masters final round drew a record 16 million viewers—the highest since Tiger Woods’ 2019 win. That spike has carried over into other PGA TOUR events, especially when leading names are in contention.
The PGA Championship is poised to benefit from this momentum, especially with storylines surrounding Scheffler’s current form, Rory’s love affair with a course he’s won on before where he will pursue his third PGA title, DeChambeau’s bittersweet relationship with the PGA TOUR that has grown sour, and former champion Justin Thomas returning to the course where he won his first career Major title in 2017.
These factors set the stage for what could be the most-viewed Major in recent memory.
What’s at stake in Charlotte:
Beyond just trophies, this PGA Championship is being framed as a cultural flashpoint for modern golf. A showcase of where the game stands three years into the LIV-PGA split. It’s also the first Major after McIlroy’s emotional breakthrough at Augusta and a chance for Scheffler to underline his status as the world’s best with a second career Major.
If DeChambeau, now ranked No. 3 in the world by DataGolf, can contend again, it would further complicate the separation of merit between the tours.
If Sunday at Augusta belonged to Rory, and LIV’s splash came in Seoul, the next few days in Charlotte could very well determine where the balance of power—and popularity—truly stands in men’s golf right now.