The DP World Tour’s inaugural ‘Back 9’ series, part of the new-look Race to Dubai schedule for 2024, proved a hit with global golf fans who flocked to the tournaments in record numbers this year.
The Back 9 phase of the season consisted of nine historic events that took place from September to October. By grouping these tournaments together in nine consecutive weeks and offering players the opportunity to qualify for the season-ending Play-offs, the Back 9 created increased drama and jeopardy for fans watching the action unfold.
Over 400,000 fans attended Back 9 tournaments this year, with a 7% increase in attendance for these events compared to their staging in 2023.
Key highlights in Great Britain and Ireland included the BMW PGA Championship, which enjoyed a record number of sell-out days and saw a 4% increase in total spectator numbers versus 2023. The Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo saw a 3% increase compared to 2023, and the Amgen Irish Open saw its attendance increase by 2% this year.
Key highlights in continental Europe include the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters which saw a 29% increase in spectator numbers versus 2023. The acciona Open de España saw its total attendance rise by 4%, and the FedEx Open de France enjoyed a 6% increase on 2023, despite inclement weather.
The final event of the Back 9, the Genesis Championship in Korea, saw a significant 164% increase in spectator numbers compared to 2023, with fans watching a thrilling play-off between two of Korea’s top players – Tom Kim and winner Byeong Hun An.
For the six tournaments in the Back 9 where the DP World Tour directly operates all consumer sales[2], which incorporates ticketing, premium hospitality and merchandise, there was a 16% increase in consumer revenue for those tournaments compared to 2023.
The nine tournaments also saw their average peak live TV viewership on Sky Sports increase by 13% compared to their staging in 2023.
Key highlights include the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, which saw a 60% increase in peak viewership on Sky Sports versus 2023. The BMW PGA Championship’s three-hole playoff between Rory McIlroy, Thriston Lawrence and eventual winner Billy Horschel resulted in a 65% increase in peak viewership compared to the previous year. The FedEx Open de France saw its live peak viewership increase by an impressive 126% versus 2023, and the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters saw a 14% peak viewership increase.
This builds on an impressive year of growth on social media for the DP World Tour, with follower growth up 13% versus 2023, and social media interactions up 15%.
Speaking about the success of the Back 9 Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour, said: “The DP World Tour has enjoyed impressive growth in our fan base in recent years, mirroring the increased interest in golf participation globally. We revamped our season structure this year to reinforce our position as golf’s global Tour, with a series of global swings building towards the Back 9 and then the season-ending play-offs.”
He added: “There has been tremendous value in staging some of our most historic tournaments and long-standing national Opens at this time of year, on globally admired golf courses, with a mixture of international stars and local heroes coming together to produce incredible drama.
“These statistics show that our popularity is on a strong upward trajectory and with the Play-offs about to start, our fans are in for a further treat as star names head to Abu Dhabi and Dubai to battle it out for the coveted Race to Dubai crown.”