The hype around a Netflix golf series from the creators of Formula 1: Drive to Survive has been building for more than a year.
The wait is now over for golf fans, as the streaming platform officially released all eight episodes of Full Swing on Wednesday morning.
The introduction was similar to the teaser and official trailers that dropped in the lead up to the show’s release. It set the scene for what fans would see across the first season: a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of some of the best players in the world and how they go about their craft amid a power struggle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Here’s a review and ranking of each episode, including highlights and stars of the show.
Episode 1 – Frenemies
Netflix episode summary: Childhood best friends Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas become fierce rivals as they battle to win on the PGA Tour.
Star of the episode: It has to be JT. The episode shows how his relationship with Spieth goes back to when they were teenagers playing junior golf together. They’ve competed against each other at the NCAA Championship and with each other at the Ryder Cup. Fans see the friendship between the two on Tour, but it was interesting to hear Thomas talk about how envious he was of Spieth early in their professional careers and how he’s grown over his own time on Tour.
Thoughts and highlights:
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: Thomas walking around a CVS (while being in contention at a major championship) struggling to find allergy medication and then getting error messages at the self-checkout. Been there, done that. Except for the major championship part.
- Pro golfers, they’re not like us at all: Thomas and Spieth trying to guess what card would be flipped from a deck and gambling $1k per attempt on a private jet. It pays to play well on the PGA Tour.
- I forgot about all the great social media content that would come from the Spring Break boys trips taken by Thomas, Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Smylie Kaufman.
- Matt Fitzpatrick said success would be to win on the Tour in 2022. Hello, foreshadowing.
- Spieth once paid a valet in Phoenix to move Thomas’ cart off site. Classic.
- The producers did well to quickly explain how pro golf tournaments work for the casual sports fans. Same with money games. Probably could’ve explained the schedule a bit more for context.
- Mito Pereira coming to the realization in real time that he lost a great chance at a major: “I (expletive) it up. On the last hole, man.” Was difficult to watch last season when it happened, and his mic’d up clip made it all the more heartbreaking.
Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 6
Episode 2 – Win or Go Home
Netflix episode summary: With his career in a frustrating slump, Brooks Koepka hopes to reclaim his place as one of the top golfers at the Masters.
Star of the episode: Scottie Scheffler is also heavily featured, but Koepka is the main focus. It was cool to see him open up and be vulnerable about his struggles on and off the course. Koepka portrays the tough guy exterior and it’s rare to get that sort of glimpse into what’s actually going on inside his head.
Thoughts and highlights:
- With the Masters as the ending, it was a layup to start the episode at the Phoenix Open to help describe and detail just who Brooks Koepka is, given his personality and history at the event. It also paralleled well with Scheffler’s ascension to world No. 1.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: Koepka putting on the carpet at home and aiming at a wine bottle. Who needs a high quality mat or indoor putting green?
- Pro golfers, they’re not like us at all: Koepka’s wall of shoes in the closet is wild.
- Koepka has the number 33 on his golf balls because it’s his wife’s favorite number and they got engaged on March 3rd. He’s not always the tough guy.
- Koepka forgot his clubs at home when he went to the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in 2017: “We got to the course, didn’t know where my clubs were.”
- Scheffler is leading the Masters and talking between shots with his caddie about his wife eating popcorn in bed at hotels and there being crumbs everywhere. What would you be thinking about if you were winning at Augusta National?
- The access to the majors was hyped up, but we didn’t see much of the Masters that isn’t already out there. But once again, it’s about the player, not the events.
Episode ranking: 1, my favorite of the season.
Episode 3 – Money or Legacy?
Netflix episode summary: Ian Poulter debates whether a lucrative LIV Golf contract is worth giving up his PGA Tour card – and facing the public scrutiny of his decision.
Star of the episode: Poulter the father and his interactions with his kids stands out a lot more than Poulter the player, who didn’t do himself any favors trying to explain why he went to LIV. He said there were uncertainties that came with joining LIV and rumors swirled about the outcomes from the Tour and Ryder Cup if they joined LIV when it was well known what would happen. Poulter would have been a prime candidate for a Ryder Cup captaincy, sooner rather than later, too. He said it would be devastating and disappointing if “it was taken away,” yet still went and put himself in the position.
Thoughts and highlights:
- The episode introduces LIV Golf, then jumps briefly to the Players Championship, then it details the Ryder Cup – because you can’t explain Poulter without the Ryder Cup – then back to expanding on LIV. It was a bit jumbled.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: Poulter’s kids making fun of him for bailing on a diet and wearing “funky” clothes.
- Professional golfers, they’re not like us at all: The Poulter family putting on a private jet in “the 41,000 foot putt challenge,” as deemed by one of his sons.
- The PGA Tour can’t be happy the Players, its flagship event got, got passed over without any explanation of it importance in the schedule. That said, the series is about the players themselves, not the season or Tour.
- Poulter, Jhonattan Vegas and Pat Perez were discussing Instagram and Twitter follow counts during the Players and making fun of Rickie Fowler for having tons of followers but never posting. Guess you can’t be fully locked in for 72 holes.
- We saw it in the trailer but Poulter threw a temper tantrum and blew up in the locker room after losing to Matt Fitzpatrick at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
- Fitzpatrick driving down the fairway at the PGA Championship talking about Poulter and Lee Westwood definitely going to LIV Golf, as well as Sergio Garcia, just showed the players were talking about it as much as the fans and media.
- Poulter saying “I’m not traveling to the U.S. Open” was a next-level way to spin and frame that he didn’t qualify.
Episode ranking: 8, the worst of the season
Episode 4 – Imposter Syndrome
Netflix episode summary: Ahead of the U.S. Open, fun-loving and self-deprecating Joel Dahmen must embrace growing responsibilities if he wants a place as a top professional golfer.
Star of the episode: How do you not walk away from this episode as a fan of Joel Dahmen? Koepka opened up, sure, but fans learn more about Dahmen than anybody else so far in the series. Executive producer Chad Mumm tabbed him as a breakout star from the series and he was absolutely right.
Oh, and his mustache continues to get better and better with each episode.
Thoughts and highlights:
- Reliving the Dahmen and Harry Higgs WM Phoenix Open shirtless party on the 16th green was a fun way to start the show and explain Dahmen’s personality.
- The mic picking up Higgs saying, “If this goes in, shirt’s coming off” was amazing.
- “It’s not like I don’t try and I don’t practice, but someone’s gotta be the 70th best golfer in the world, might as well be me.” Dahmen is so brutally honest and humble to a fault, it makes you wonder how much he could be winning if he had more confidence and self-belief.
- This was just kind of slid in there, but there’s a clip where Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa are all hanging out together on Saturday at the U.S. Open. It was cool to see the camaraderie and relationship between the players, even at one of the biggest events of the year.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: McIlroy couldn’t help but show Rahm and Morikawa a picture of his daughter and Dahmen really struggled with a baby stroller.
Episode ranking: 2
Episode 5 – American Dreams
Netflix episode summary: Tensions between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf reach new heights as Matt Fitzpatrick and Dustin Johnson face off at the U.S. Open.
Star of the episode: DJ was classic DJ but Fitzpatrick really stood out. The two are polar opposite people and players in completely different points of their careers, as well. That set up for a fun episode which showed just how different golfers can be.
Thoughts and highlights:
- Dahmen’s run at the U.S. Open was a perfect segue to introduce Fitzpatrick, whose result at the PGA was great to set up his future run at the U.S. Open.
- The episode summary is slightly misleading. Yes, tensions were rising all year and yes, both played the U.S. Open. Fitzpatrick won at 6 under, while Johnson finished T-24 at 4 over.
- Fitzpatrick, 27, has tracked every shot he’s hit since he was 15 years old. Many people in the golf space may know that little anecdote, but to the casual fan that had to be shocking. How deep he gets in the numbers and analytics is truly impressive (and confusing).
- Johnson said his LIV decision came down to the offer and that he’d be playing less and making more money. He also said “something’s wrong with you” if you wouldn’t take a similar offer. We’ll just leave that one alone.
- Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, said he got a half-hearted proposal from LIV.
- Fitzpatrick’s brother, Alex, being there to cheer him on and celebrate his U.S. Open victory with the rest of the family after caddying for him at the U.S. Amateur at Brookline made a special story all the more touching.
Episode ranking: 4, which shows the quality of the top three
Episode 6 - Don't Get Bitter, Get Better
Netflix episode summary: Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa take different approaches to the game heading into the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship.
Star of the episode: It’s rare to see professional athletes open up, be emotional and vulnerable to the extent that Finau was in this episode. He’s known as one of the nicest guys on Tour and the episode shows why: his family. Executive Producer Chad Mumm said the players who embrace the series the most will get the most out of it, and outside of maybe Dahmen, I don’t think anybody embraced it more than Finau.
Thoughts and highlights:
- By pairing the stories of Finau and Morikawa in this episode, the producers were able to show fans two completely different approaches to life on the road. Finau travels with his wife and kids, while Morikawa just has his fiancé (now wife) and dog.
- Finau’s dad, Kelepi, is one of the best interviews on the show. His laugh is infectious and he’s always got something to say.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: Finau told a great story about parking in the champions lot at the Masters on accident. Who hasn’t parked somewhere they aren’t supposed to?
- Morikawa explaining the consecutive hole-outs by he and McIlroy from the same bunker on No. 18 at Augusta National was hilarious. Poor McIlroy. He’s so good, yet so awkward at times when he celebrates.
- Loved the Adidas meeting and seeing just how much input a player like Morikawa has with his clothes on the course.
- Sean Foley emerged as the best commentator for the series this episode talking about Finau and his family being on the road or at home during tournaments.
- Once again, Finau really let the producers into his world and it showed throughout the episode just how important his family is to his success, both on and off the course.
Episode ranking: 5
Episode 7 - Golf is Hard
Netflix episode summary: Rookies Sahith Theegala and Mito Pereira are both looking for their first win on the PGA Tour, but must learn the hard way that winning isn’t easy.
Star of the episode: Tough to pick one. Both players came so close to their first wins and both admirably handled their respective brutal defeats. If I have to pick one, it’ll be Theegala. He’s relatable and has this certain swagger about him both on and off the course. Not only that, his answers were insightful and he was brutally honest, two things you don’t always see from guys in their early 20s.
Thoughts and highlights:
- Pereira and Theegala were both rookies and both came awful close to winning in 2022. Their stories were eerily similar and provided a natural pairing for the episode.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: Joaquin Niemann breaks a cork in a wine bottle and it’s really unfortunate the cameras were there to catch it. We’ve all done it, fortunately for us just not on a Netflix show.
- Theegala uses a cardboard box for a laundry hamper. Golf is hard, so is adulting.
- Was great to see the family-esque bond between guys like Pereira, Niemann and Carlos Ortiz on Tour (all have either signed with LIV or reportedly are joining LIV now). I’d bet casual fans will be shocked to learn they stayed together out on the road.
- Theegala’s perspective on why it’s important to show your emotions and not hide them was refreshing to hear from a pro athlete.
- It was interesting to hear Pereira say he was encouraged by Theegala’s close call in Phoenix because they’re both rookies. If Theegala could contend, why can’t he? Weirdly enough he suffered a similar fate to Theegala, but in a major championship.
- I thought Pereira’s reaction was tough to watch. His girlfriend and friends’ reaction wasn’t any better.
Episode ranking: 7
Episode 8 - Everything Has Led to This
Netflix episode summary: As the season winds down, Rory McIlroy faces Cam Smith at the Open Championship, while fighting for change within the PGA Tour.
Star of the episode: Lee Trevino for talking smack to Jack Nicklaus at the Open Championship at St. Andrews.
In all seriousness, it’s definitely McIlroy. He wasn’t initially scheduled to be involved and it took some time before he got joined the project, and it’s a great thing he did because the show was better for it. You can’t talk about professional golf in 2022 for long without mentioning McIlroy. He
Thoughts and highlights:
- Show opens with McIlroy admitting he may have leaned into the contention and made the LIV vs. PGA Tour battle too personal while also saying he’s just defending what he thinks is right. It was a great way to begin the episode and explain just why it’s so divisive between the two sides.
- Pro golfers, they’re just like us: McIlroy waxing poetic about Tiger Woods showed the players view him in a similar light as the fans.
- Koepka defending his decision to join LIV because his future family for generations will be taken care of is tough to argue against. But for a guy who last year said people will “sell out” and take the LIV money, it really, really makes you think how much they offered and what the breaking point was.
- It’s rare to get insight from the great players in the game, but McIlroy blew me away talking about how over his major drought he’s won everything else, except for a major. “So I feel like I’m trying to win my first one again.”
- Cameron Smith’s non denial of joining LIV was just as awkward to watch a second time around.
- The casual fans of golf must think the Tour Championship’s staggered scoring format is so silly. Hearing it explained is always kinda goofy.
- McIlroy sitting down with Andy Pazder, the PGA Tour Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer, and telling him the guys felt “blindsided” by the mandatory commitment for the elevated events was one of the more eye-opening things we learned over the eight episodes.
- McIlroy talking to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis making fun of Patrick Reed for dropping in the rankings after playing an Asian Tour event. “Beautiful” said McIlroy with a laugh.
- McIlroy saying “(Expletive) you, Phil. I hope that makes it in,” in the training room at the Tour Championship.
- The show probably could’ve done a bit more to contextualize the seasons of McIlroy and Scheffler since it showed so much of the finale at the Tour Championship.
- It all ends with McIlroy describing how Woods is always the first to send a congratulatory text after he won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup. The smile on his face said it all.
Episode ranking: 3
