PGA Tour Struggles Without Tiger

As the PGA Tour kicks off this week at Torrey Pines in San Diego, the reality of a season without Tiger Woods is on full display.  Ticket sales are down, fewer hospitality tents have been sold, TV ratings are expected to dwindle and the title sponsor of the event, Zurich Financial Services, is paying just half of what General Motors did last year as the primary sponsor.

According to The Wall Street Journal, while the PGA Tour saw drastic increases in revenue and sponsorship deals, its overall audiences actually declined. The final-round play on the broadcast networks in 2009 averaged under 3.5 million viewers, down from more than four million in 1999 and lower than in the year Mr. Woods turned pro.

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