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More than 2 million golf fans tuned in to watch Nelly Korda win the 2026 U.S. Women's Open on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.
NBC Sports reported a 78-percent increase in final-round viewership from last year, with an average of 1.3 million viewers throughout Sunday's coverage and a peak of 2.2 million in the final 15 minutes of action, when Korda made birdie on the 17th and poured in a dramatic "ice cream swirl" par putt on No. 18 to secure her first title at her national open and the fourth major championship of her career.
It's the second-largest audience of the last decade for Sunday coverage of the U.S. Women's Open, behind only the 2023 edition, which saw Allisen Corpuz emerge victorious at the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links.
It stands to reason that, similar to 2023, this year's venue helped draw eyes. Riviera is one of the most recognizable courses in the country and this was the first women's major ever hosted at the historic site. Also, both the 2023 and 2026 tournaments took place in the pacific time zone, meaning the final few hours of coverage occupied prime time on the east coast.
But Sunday wasn't the only day that saw a significant uptick in viewership, as Saturday's third round drew an average of 1 million viewers — up 76 percent from a year ago.
The network will look to carry that momentum into next week when it broadcasts the men's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, with daily wall-to-wall coverage across all its platforms — NBC, NBC Sports Network, USA Network and Peacock.
Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Women's Open 2026 TV ratings: Viewership soars for Nelly Korda win
Continue reading...
NBC Sports reported a 78-percent increase in final-round viewership from last year, with an average of 1.3 million viewers throughout Sunday's coverage and a peak of 2.2 million in the final 15 minutes of action, when Korda made birdie on the 17th and poured in a dramatic "ice cream swirl" par putt on No. 18 to secure her first title at her national open and the fourth major championship of her career.
It's the second-largest audience of the last decade for Sunday coverage of the U.S. Women's Open, behind only the 2023 edition, which saw Allisen Corpuz emerge victorious at the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links.
It stands to reason that, similar to 2023, this year's venue helped draw eyes. Riviera is one of the most recognizable courses in the country and this was the first women's major ever hosted at the historic site. Also, both the 2023 and 2026 tournaments took place in the pacific time zone, meaning the final few hours of coverage occupied prime time on the east coast.
But Sunday wasn't the only day that saw a significant uptick in viewership, as Saturday's third round drew an average of 1 million viewers — up 76 percent from a year ago.
The network will look to carry that momentum into next week when it broadcasts the men's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, with daily wall-to-wall coverage across all its platforms — NBC, NBC Sports Network, USA Network and Peacock.
Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Women's Open 2026 TV ratings: Viewership soars for Nelly Korda win
Continue reading...
