By Hudson Pace

Image credit: @fullswingnetflix via Instagram.

On February 15, Netflix released the first season of Full Swing, a documentary that follows the lives of a group of golfers on the PGA Tour. Eight episodes were released, each with a different storyline. Full Swing shows the experience of the PGA Tour season, including the four majors: the Masters, PGA Championship, the US Open, and the Open Championship. It shows successes and failures on the course, but also the personal lives of the players. 

The first episode, “Frenemies,” covers the friendship between golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Both are currently in the top 20 in the world and have had very successful careers. Spieth has won three major championships and has 16 total wins, while Thomas has won two majors and 17 total wins. In the episode, they discuss the friendship that has formed between the two. They began playing golf together at age 13 and have continued to be friends since. They travel and practice together for most tournaments. While they are great friends, they are both very competitive and each want to perform better than the other. The episode follows their experiences at the 2022 PGA Championship in May 2022 at Southern Hills Country Club, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which Thomas won. 

LIV Tour promotional poster. Image credit: @livgolf_league via Instagram

The second episode, “Win or Go Home,” highlights the struggles of Brooks Koepka through his leg injury. Koepka suffered from a dislocated knee cap and ligament damage, which required surgery. Koepka was number 1 in the world in 2018 but has since fallen off to 90th in the world. The episode shows the success that Scottie Scheffler had in his 2022 season, as he won the Master’s and was named Player of the Year. 

The rest of the season covers Ian Poulter’s change to the LIV Tour, a Saudi-backed golf league that has been signing PGA Tour players. The LIV Tour, established in 2021 as a rival to the PGA Tour, is run by Greg Norman, a former professional golfer. The LIV Tour is very controversial in their methods of signing players, as they essentially offer millions of dollars of guaranteed money, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

The series also highlights Joel Dahmen’s career, a journeyman golfer, who has not had much success on tour, Matt Fitzpatrick’s rise to dominance and his win at the 2022 US Open, Tony Finau’s personal life, Mito Pereira and Sahith Theegala’s rookie year, and Rory McIlory’s overall career. 

Ian Poulter. Photo credit: Tour Pro Golf Clubs via flickr.

I asked my fellow members of the Collegiate golf team, Jack Bradley (‘23) and future Dartmouth golfer, Tyler Brand (‘23), about their opinion on the show. Bradley said, “the series motivated me to go out and play golf. There were a few episodes that I thought weren’t that good that could’ve focused on a different player, but overall it was a really good series that captivated me.” 

Brand describes how the show demonstrates the difficulty of professional golf: “Full swing really brings a new light to what professional golf is truly like. I don’t think golf always gets the credit it deserves for its difficulty, but the series really gives insight to what all goes into being a professional golfer. This series really just puts the stress and fatigue that professional golfers endure throughout a season on full display and helps not only to captivate viewers but also potentially educate aspiring professional golfers.”

Rory McIlroy hits a golf shot. Photo credit: Tour Pro Golf Clubs via flickr.

I completely agree with both of these takes. I really enjoyed Full Swing and thought it was interesting witnessing the preparation and on-course behaviors of the players. As I am playing NCAA golf next year at Lafayette College, I am able to relate to many of the situations these players face on the course and in their preparation. Seeing how the best golfers in the world handle difficulties is inspiring and something I can learn from. 

Full Swing does a great job of providing for people who are golf enthusiasts or just beginners. My mother, Liane Pace, doesn’t play golf but is a fan and watched Full Swing. She talked about how watching the show increased her knowledge of golf: “I enjoyed how Full Swing showed the off-course, day-to-day regime, including working out, and other therapy. Other than the obvious on-course practice, this showed how these athletes prepare for tournaments, which I found interesting.” 

I enjoyed how all eight episodes show a variety of different players’ experiences. Comparing the struggles of Dahmen to the success and career of McIlory gives the viewers diverse options of what they can watch. I can’t wait for the next season and for the players it highlights.