The opening sequence of the second season of Netflix’s Full Swing ends with Rory McIlroy turning to the camera and declaring, “It’s been a great year in the world of golf.”
I was not lying. And Netflix cameras were rolling to capture every moment of the sport’s explosive 2023.
The past year certainly generated tantalizing stories of a gripping Ryder Cup clash, notable victories and, of course, the explosive June 6 news of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf ceasefire.
And while the sport didn’t make it difficult for Netflix, unlike its debut season, the streaming giant outdid it.
While Season 1 was a superficial introduction to golf, Season 2 is a deep dive into one of the sport’s most exciting years.
Second season of Netflix’s eight-part professional golf docuseries premieres March 6
Rory McIlroy sets the stage for a dramatic season in the opening sequence of Episode 1.
The eight-part series, launching March 6, addresses all of golf’s biggest moments, especially the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger.
The breaking news shook the sport when it was announced to the surprise of everyone, even the players, and cameras were recording their live reactions.
They were at Justin Thomas’ house while he watched PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan on TV. They were at a Waffle House with Joel Dahmen and his caddy, Geno Bonnalie, reading the news on their phones. They were in the car with Collin Morikawa and caddy Jonathan Jakovac, when they were stunned.
Most importantly, Netflix was there to capture the candor of the PGA Tour’s sacrificial lamb, McIlroy. “I’m almost to the point where it’s like, fuck, do what you want to do,” he laments in a behind-the-scenes shot of him in his car.
The Northern Irishman, like his role on the Tour, is the main figure of the series as he navigates the consequences of golf’s biggest bomb.
McIlroy is a man unleashed. He is purely wild in his behind-the-scenes interviews, even dropping the bombshell that he wishes LIV maverick Brooks Koepka would not succeed at the Masters or the PGA Championship.
The two-part opening curtain dedicated to the aftermath builds up to Monahan’s calculations in the form of the players’ only meeting, which ironically is the only moment that Netflix’s cameras couldn’t capture. And the fundamental question golf fans have been asking for the past nine months arises again: How is Monahan still working?
While Netflix finds its way into the drama, it also blends the stories fans were tuning into with the game’s larger stories, creating plenty of raw moments.
Full Swing Season 2 achieves its goal of showcasing all aspects of golf by using the sport’s biggest events to tell the stories of multiple golfers on and off the course.
McIlroy admits he wishes Brooks Koepka didn’t succeed at the Masters or the PGA Championship
Cameras capture all the action, even in the players’ homes (pictured, Justin Thomas)
The Masters and PGA Championship provide the stage for the PGA-LIV soap opera to play out, but they also act as the stage for McIlroy’s continuing great drought, Koepka’s redemption arc and Dahmen’s struggles.
Dahmen, who had an episode dedicated to him in Season 1, is once again the star of his own show in Episode 3, ‘Mind Game,’ but this time the fan favorite is full of fatherhood and newfound popularity: fame, ironically, was caused by his featured appearance in Full Swing.
The particularly heartbreaking story culminates when his popular caddie, Geno Bonnalie, crying on a private jet, gives his friend an ultimatum: get help or he’ll leave.
The episode focuses on the mental side of the game and importantly highlights the help of sports psychologists in the game. But it is quickly balanced by the light-hearted moments of Tom Kim and the Fitzpatrick brothers in the following chapters.
Already a fan favorite, Kim endears herself even more as one of the most adorable faces in golf.
Meanwhile, Alex Fitzpatrick looks to step out of the shadow of his older brother, 2022 US Open champion Matt, at the Open at Royal Liverpool in episode 5, offering multiple touching moments of the extremely nice family along with a glimpse into the world of golf. outside the top ten players on the PGA Tour.
The three episodes are perfectly written to summarize the highest highs and lowest lows of the game.
They also build suspense for the grand finale that fans know is coming. Viewers are left waiting for the series to shift its focus to the Ryder Cup with the final two episodes, ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’, showcasing the spectacular, but Episode 6 is truly the essential watch.
Joel Dahmen and his caddy Geno Bonnalie share an emotional moment in episode 3
Tom Kim endears himself even more as one of the most adorable faces in golf
Alex Fitzpatrick (pictured) looks to step out of the shadow of his older brother, Matt
The episode, titled ‘Pick Six,’ follows the agonizing deliberation of Team USA captain Zach Johnson as he works between his friend Justin Thomas and veteran Keegan Bradley to make the final pick.
It captures Bradley’s desperation to be part of another Ryder Cup team as he works through events to give Johnson every reason to select him, while also showing the ‘boys club’ the team has become. American with the captain dining with Thomas, who is still competing for a place, despite a season of conflict on the field.
The episode juxtaposes Thomas’s utmost elation with Bradley’s anguish to perfectly explain the importance of the tournament, leaving even golf fans on the edge of their seats as the series travels to Marco Simone.
Viewers have no doubt about the level of passion in the Italian countryside and, like the rest of the season, Netflix leaves it all on display.
The creators even manage to overcome the restriction of being denied access to the team locker rooms. And yes, the cap-gate is caught on camera with everything said during that fiery interaction between the Europeans and Patrick Cantlay’s caddy, without exception.
There are some moments when you wonder why Brian Harman and his Open victory haven’t been mentioned as an underdog. You barely hear anything from World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the face of the game Tiger Woods or any LIV star, save for a brief interview from Dustin Johnson.
You’re also wondering why we haven’t heard anything about Jon Rahm, his Masters win and his latest defection from LIV, but maybe that’s kept in the vault for next year… continuing with season 3?
But overall, Full Swing Season works well, not forcing stories just because they’re the ones that made the headlines.
The season ends with a grand finale with a two-part look at the scrappy Ryder Cup in Rome.
It captures Keegan Bradley’s (pictured) desperation to form another Ryder Cup team.
Team USA captain Zach Johnson (R) as he works between his friend Justin Thomas (L) and Bradley.
It’s rare for a sequel to match the quality of the original. It is even rarer that it eclipses him. But that’s exactly what Full Swing does.
The first season was fun but left a lot to be desired. The second season left nothing untouched, it is packed with every story imaginable and you still don’t want it to end.
2024 will not have explosive news that alters the sport in the middle of the year. There will be no Ryder Cup either. But season 2 suggests that Netflix has perfected its formula for encapsulating an entire season of golf through the right stories.
Season 2 leaves fans confident that Full Swing can deliver value, fully formed plots, and most importantly, organic storytelling. Get ready for season 3 now.