British Open struggles with 2.6 rating Sunday

It might have been the fact that Rory McIlroy looked like he had the British Open all tied up with his name already engraved on the Claret Jug, but according to Show Buzz Daily, not many watched.

Sunday's finish at Royal Liverpool which saw Sergio Garcia, world No. 1 Adam Scott, and fan favorites Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler take runs at the lead didn't interest the public.

Sunday at the Open had a 2.6 rating, down 28 percent from last year's 3.6 rating when Phil Mickelson won the Championship.

All the right elements were in place; young players and a fluctuating leaderboard, but fans did not watch.

Tiger Woods is the big get for ratings, and his performance Thursday indicated he might be in the running over the weekend. That didn't happen, as he finished 69th, with only three golfers behind him.

The fourth and final major of the season is the PGA Championship, and if ratings struggle there too it will be a season to forget in terms of ratings.