‘He Does Everything You’re Supposed to Do’

A shining knight emerges from the Netflix golf docuseries.

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Sprawling. That’s the most apt description of PGA Tour events.

They’re contested on golf courses covering 200 acres, plus or minus. With 156 players teeing it up on a given day, tee times are such that some competitors are walking off the 18th green before others have even stepped onto the 1st tee. 

Roughly 24,000 shots will be played during the course of a tournament, every one of which will potentially affect every player in the field. But each player will only have witnessed about 700 of them—his own and those of his playing partners. 

Multiply this sprawl times the 40-plus events on the PGA circuit each year, and you get a sense of the challenge faced by the producers of Full Swing, the eight-episode Netflix docuseries about  the PGA Tour’s 2022 season. 

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  1. Safety Cone

    "...docuseries about Formula 1 racing..."

    So Netflix does golf better? Well, thanks for the spoiler alert about real drama at the Open.

    Formulaic 1 show relies on faux drama, not enough actual track video (which they must have in spades) and works so hard to pretend the ultimate champion is actually never in doubt by the third race.

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    Rajeev

    I had a lot of respect for Rory McIlroy for originally taking what I thought, rightly or wrongly (good arguments in both sides), a principled stand against LIV golf.

    But then we find out there was no principle stand at all and he suddenly out of nowhere says if the Saudi investment fund wants to benefit golf they should support the PGA Tour. It was always about the money and that others were jumping to get a lot more of it. So disappointing he and Phil are both massive hypocrites two sides of the same coin.

    I think the only way LIV really destroys the integrity of golf is if the great LIV golfers don’t get sufficient world ranking points and the majors get watered down talent-wise.

    As of now, LIV golf is the best thing that’s happened to golfers. Those who defect can make life changing money more commensurate with their name like other sports. Additionally, those that stayed with the PGA Tour now have massive increases to already large purses directly as a response to the successful recruitment of the LIV tour.

    And, for now, the majors are like Tiger vs Phil in the old days. LIV best vs PGA best as competitive, tense, chilling rivalry that makes it more fun to watch.

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  3. Bob Blanchard

    Might want to check your “typos!” You say “First Swing” three times towards the end of the article…

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    Earl King

    Professional golfers are expected to behave with manors, be respectful and avoid negative publicity. This why Dustin Johnson failing drug tests was such an eye opener. As much of an eye opener as Tigers sexual exploits with waitresses. As I explained to my wife powerful professional men, can’t obviously become heavy drinkers or drug users. They often go for risky sex as Tiger did. Tiger also join Navy Seals in their dangerous activities in order to channel his fathers military experience. It is said he did close up combat hand to hand fighting and they famous Seal Instructor is the one who caused his knee injury.

    The PGA currently lacks the characters that had been around the game in the 60’s and 70’s. The Lee Trevino’s and Fuzzy Zoeller. Guys that that grew up on lonely municipal courses that didn’t grow up on country club courses. Ben Hogan for example. Disney made a great Movie about Francis Ouimet, an amateur who beat out professionals, famous professional to win the US Open...a terrific golf movie. Today players seem more like automatons. Built the same, taught to swing the same. Odd balls swings like John Daly and Jim Furyk just don’t come around very often. My assumption is that the PGA needs some more stars and humanize the players. LIV poached a number of star”ish” names, most of them were no longer competitive or at least at the beginning or the end of their greatness.

    My personal feeling if money is all you cared about by all means leave. If you place in golf history drives you, number of Wins, Majors, drives you, there is no replacement for the PGA. Looking forward to season 2.

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  5. Ksunday

    The show is about golf but seems, like a lot of great sports shows, to be about family. The characters of this show I appreciated most were the dads...whether it was the fathers of golfers like Thomas and Theegala or Tony Finau traveling with his family and supporting his son as he tries his hand at amateur golf.

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  6. Pohl

    Nice review. Makes this occasional watcher of a “good walk spoiled” want to check it out. I’m an F1 fan who enjoys what I’ve seen of Drive to Survive, which, of necessity, follows younger guys who sometimes act dumb, but, in the main, do a good job of not hurting themselves in a dangerous sport. Golf still has slow-burn drama to offer. Is the narration in a hushed voice, though?

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