Ricky Fowler won his first PGA Tour event since 2019 in a three-man playoff – but fans couldn’t watch live on TV.
Instead, CBS chose to broadcast the final round finale of the Rocket Mortgage Classic live on its app and website — while on TV, it showed a rodeo at 1 p.m. and taped a PGA Tour Special at 2 p.m.
The Golf Channel aired Rocket Mortgage but it was behind the live action and will be shown on CBS on tape delay at 3 p.m.
Inclement weather had pushed up the start time for the Tour so the tournament would likely not finish on Monday.
CBS not getting a live televised playoff game led to fan outrage and an epic rant from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Portnoy went after seeing tweets about Fowler coming close to an elusive win and then realizing it wasn’t shown on traditional television.
“Not on TV,” Portnoy said in a video on social media. “I’m watching CBS and they’re showing some, I don’t know what they’re showing, some old golf taped on amateur hour. … What is this 1921? We’re showing postponed registered golf tournaments? Who wants to watch that?
“I’m in Traverse City, Michigan watching people drive a truck. What do we do? CBS Are you that stupid? Is this LIV [Golf]? Is this a LIV thing? …Discover a way to show live golf on TV. So I can watch the golf game live on TV.”
CBS Sports did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the broadcast decision.
Portnoy wasn’t the only one who was angered by the network’s choice.
“It was easier to watch LIV play at 4am than to watch Rickie win a PGA TOUR event on CBS,” college golfer Canon Claycomb tweeted shortly after the victory.
Fowler used a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to edge out Colin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin for his first home league win since 2019.
@RobisRaable wrote on Twitter: “Hi, great job @CBS not airing Ricky’s first win in four years.” “The choice of programming is excellent.”
Fowler delivered a lot of drama in the closed slots.
He needed to make a 3-foot-18 birdie to earn a spot in the playoffs at 24-under-par and then used a ridiculously good putt to get the win.
Fowler hit a foul shot on the playoff and after the fall.
His approach of 184 landed 11 feet from the cup.
“Congratulations, Ricky Rose”. tweet @BradleyMerlo. “CBS cannot be justified for not broadcasting on LIVE TV.”
