This Will Shock You

I hope you're sitting down, because this information might floor you -- that Arnold Palmer tournament yesterday, where Tiger Woods made a pretty decent putt to win the thing for his first post-knee surgery win? Yeah, it was the highest rated golf tournament since the last time Tiger teed it up, at the U.S. Open in '08.

NBC Sports says the final round drew a 4.9 overnight rating with a 10 share. According to Nielsen Media Research, that's the highest rating of any golf tournament since the U.S. Open in June. Woods won that tournament in a playoff.

The Bay Hill rating was up 23% from last year and attracted more viewers than the British Open and PGA Championship last year when Woods did not play because of knee surgery.

I mean, it isn't even a joke anymore that people don't care about golf unless Woods is present. I was watching golf yesterday instead of the NCAA Tournament, and I'm sure I wasn't alone.

I really wish Tiger would learn how to do a proper celebration. The knee kick thing looked like he just learned his iPhone could receive MMS messages or something.

Chris Condon, PGA Tour/Getty Images