| http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr000406b.asp POLL RELEASES
April 6, 2000 Americans and Golf: Context for The Masters
One-fifth of the public golf, and one-fourth consider themselves golf fans GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- With the 64th Masters golf tournament getting underway, here is a look at Americans' relationship with golf. Despite the Tiger Woods phenomenon, only 5% of Americans say that golf is their favorite sport to watch. Football is still No. 1. What is your favorite sport to watch? 
| 2000
Mar | 1998
Nov | 1997
Apr** | 1995
Apr | 1994
Sep | 1994
Aug |
|---|
| Football | 33% | 36% | 30% | 32% | 37% | 35% | | Basketball | 16 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | | Baseball | 13 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 21 | | Ice hockey | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | | Golf | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | | Auto Racing | 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | Ice/ Figure Skating | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | | Soccer | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Boxing | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Tennis | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | | Wrestling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | * | 1 | | Gymnastics | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | | Bowling | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Fishing | * | 1 | * | 1 | * | * | | Swimming | * | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | | Horse Racing | -- | * | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | | | | OTHER | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | | NONE | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 10 | | No opinion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
* Less than 0.5%
** Question wording: What is your favorite sport to watch? LONG TERM TREND | Football | Baseball | Basketball | Tennis | Golf |
|---|
| 2000 Mar 30-Apr 2 | 33% | 13 | 15 | 1 | 5 | | | | 1998 Nov 20-22 | 36% | 16 | 12 | 2 | 3 | | 1997 Apr 18-20** | 30% | 14 | 17 | 2 | 5 | | 1995 Apr 17-19 | 32% | 16 | 15 | 2 | 4 | | 1994 Sep | 37% | 16 | 13 | 3 | 3 | | 1994 Aug | 35% | 21 | 11 | 2 | 3 | | 1992 Sept | 38% | 16 | 12 | 5 | 3 | | 1990 Feb | 35% | 16 | 15 | 3 | 2 | | 1981 | 38% | 16 | 9 | -- | -- | | 1972 | 36% | 21 | 8 | -- | -- | | 1960 | 21% | 34 | 9 | -- | -- | | 1948 | 17% | 39 | 10 | -- | -- |
** Question wording: What is your favorite sport to follow?
Twenty-six percent of the public say they are fans of professional golf, compared to 45% who are fans of professional baseball, and 38% who claim to be fans of professional basketball. For each of the following, please say whether you are a fan of that sport or not. First, … [RANDOM ORDER] A. Professional baseball | | Yes,
a fan | Somewhat
a fan of
(vol.) | No, not
a fan |
|---|
| | % | % | % | | 2000 Mar 30-Apr 2 | 45 | 10 | 45 | | | | 1999 Nov 18-21 | 45 | 16 | 39 | | 1999 Oct 21-24 | 37 | 10 | 53 | | 1999 July 13-14 | 40 | 19 | 41 | | 1999 Mar 19-21 | 34 | 15 | 51 | | 1998 Oct 9-12 | 47 | 14 | 39 | | 1998 Sep 14-15 | 45 | 18 | 37 | | 1998 Jun 22-23 | 34 | 10 | 56 | | 1996 Mar 15-17 | 38 | 10 | 52 | | 1995 Oct 5-7 | 34 | 8 | 58 | | 1995 Jul 7-9 | 35 | 13 | 52 | | 1995 May 11-14 | 35 | 10 | 55 | | 1995 Apr 17-19 | 32 | 9 | 59 | | 1995 Feb 24-26 | 37 | 12 | 51 | | 1995 Jan 16-18 | 37 | 8 | 55 | | 1994 Oct 17-19 | 39 | 9 | 52 | | 1994 Sep 6-7 | 35 | 11 | 54 | | 1994 Aug 15-16 | 39 | 10 | 51 | | 1994 Aug 8-9 | 35 | 30 | 45 | | 1993 May 21-23 | 39 | 10 | 51 | | 1993 Feb 12-14 | 44 | 7 | 49 |
B. Professional basketball | | % | % | % | | 2000 Mar 30-Apr 2 | 38 | 8 | 54 | | | | 99 Jan 15-17 | 31 | 11 | 58 | | 99 Jan 6 | 29 | 12 | 59 | | 98 Oct 9-12 | 36 | 10 | 54 | | 94 Mar 11-13 | 32 | 11 | 57 |
C. Professional golf | | % | % | % | | 2000 Mar 30-Apr 2 | 26 | 8 | 66 |
The vast majority of Americans say that Tiger Woods is the greatest active professional in golf today. Who would you, yourself, say is the greatest professional golf player active in golf today?
BASED ON -- 264 -- GOLF FANS; PLUS OR MINUS 7 PCT PTS | Golf fans | National adults |
|---|
| Tiger Woods | 81% | 69% | | Jack Nicklaus | 4 | 2 | | Arnold Palmer | 3 | 2 | | | | OTHER | 7 | 4 | | No opinion | 5 | 23 | | | 100% | 100% |
One-fifth of the public claims to golf at least occasionally. How often, if ever, do you golf - regularly, occasionally, rarely or never? | Regularly | Occasionally | Rarely | Never | No opinion |
|---|
| | % | % | % | % | % | | 2000 Mar 30-Apr 2 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 67 | * |
Americans with higher incomes and those under 50 years of age are most likely to play golf at least occasionally How often, if ever, do you golf -- regularly, occasionally, rarely or never? | $50,000 + | $30,001-50,000 | $20,000-30,000 | Under $20,000 |
|---|
| | % | % | % | % | | Regularly | 11 | 5 | 5 | 3 | | Occasionally | 18 | 15 | 10 | 2 | | Rarely | 18 | 14 | 13 | 6 | | Never | 53 | 66 | 72 | 89 |
| 18-29 years | 30-49 years | 50+ years |
|---|
| | % | % | % | | Regularly | 6 | 6 | 8 | | Occasionally | 15 | 18 | 5 | | Rarely | 17 | 14 | 11 | | Never | 62 | 62 | 75 |
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 998 adults, 18 years and older, conducted March 30-April 2, 2000. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. | 
