Tiger Woods and LIV Golf were Google’s most searched golf topics in the United States in 2023, according to data provided by the search engine. At least with Woods, a 15-time major winner, this comes as no surprise. But break down search interest by month and you’ll notice some eyebrows: Sam Ryder, Sam Bennett and even NBA legend Steph Curry.
The most popular golf topics in the search engine for 2023 have been divided into categories of golfers (overall), golfers (monthly), and golf-related terms (overall). To get a ranking for each, Google listed searches based on its trending data in the search engine. It analyzed “search interest” for topics by using a sample of all searches and then indexing topics against the top item in each list. So the best player in each category tops the list at 100 percent, and the percentages go down from there. Google did not provide raw numbers for search volume for 2023.
Let’s start with Woods. It also topped the Google list last yearand probably every year since its inception, despite the fact that the 15-time major winner has only played two official PGA Tour events in 2023.
At the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles that he hosts every February, Woods made his 2023 debut before shooting a thrilling 67 in the third round at Riviera. At Augusta National two months later, the 47-year-old tied a tournament record already held by Gary Player and Fred Couples with 23 successive Masters cuts made. But in cold temperatures and constant rain, Woods succumbed to his persistent plantar fasciitis and withdrew before the delayed third round resumed. He did not play again until December’s Hero World Challenge, although Woods made headlines for stepping up in the TGL simulation league that ultimately had to be postponed, and for join the PGA Tour board of directors following the June framework agreement with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
World number 2 Rory McIlroy finished second in Google searches, generating 88.7% of Woods’ search interest. McIlroy has made headlines, including several victories and close calls. He won the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour in January, and at the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, a late bogey thwarted his hopes of ending a nine-year drought of major tournament victories. In July, McIlroy won the Genesis Scottish Open the week before the Open Championship. At the end of September, the Northern Irishman had a explode in front of the Ryder Cup clubhouse following a verbal altercation with Patrick Cantlay’s caddy, Joe LaCava, on the 18th green during a Day 2 match. In December, McIlroy resigned from the tour’s steering committee, citing inability to commit to its time requirements.
As expected, the five most searched golfers each month highlighted the gap between what the internet finds interesting and the biggest golf-centric stories.
For example, you might think the biggest golf story in January was Rahm winning twice on the PGA Tour, at the Sentry in Maui and at the American Express in the California desert. The Internet would beg to differ. Sam Ryder wearing brown sweatpants at Torrey Pines—and was criticized on social media for this by John Daly and Phil Mickelson– catapulted him to the rank of the most searched golfers on Google in January. In February, Woods’ selection at Riviera gave him the top spot, while in March, Scottie Scheffler took over with his win at the Elite Players Championship.
In April, Rahm winning the Masters in his second career major wasn’t enough for the Spaniard to be the most searched golfer on Google that month. Instead, it was another Masters contender and amateur, Sam Bennett, with Rahm at No. 2. Bennett, the U.S. amateur champion and Texas A&M star, fought to the end of the weekend at Augusta National and had an emotional story that had sports fans rooting for him: He lost his father, Mark, to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in June 2021. Bennett got a tattoo on his arm to honor his father.
In May, Michael Block and his story– a club professional who scored an ace in the final round of the PGA Championship while playing with McIlroy en route to a T-15 – made him the most searched golfer on Google. By June, McIlroy was in first place thanks to his second-place finish at the US Open and his central role in the Umbrella Agreement news. July was a Google layup for famous golfer Steph Curry, featuring the Golden State Warriors icon. make a hole in one and win the American Century Championship with an eagle on the last hole. Unlucky was the second most searched golfer in July, Brian Harman. All he did was win the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
In August, we don’t know if Lucas Glover won two weeks in a row or her incredible sweat stains during these victories, it made him the most sought-after golfer, but he was. Viktor Hovland’s win at the $18 million FedEx Cup earned him the second spot on Google for the month. In September, Woods returned to his Google throne, but was then No. 2 in October behind 11-time PGA Tour winner Andy Bean. died aged 70 after undergoing a double lung transplant. Woods then returned to No. 1 for November, while in December the announcement of Rahm’s signing with LIV Golf allowed him to unseat Woods.
Finally, we discuss golf-related topics. For the second year in a row, “LIV Golf” was the most searched topic on Google, while “US Open Golf” was second. The only phrase including the name of a player in the top 20 might surprise you: “Sam Bennett Golf.”
