Full Swing: Why Netflix's Golf Documentary is Unmissable

Hole19 -

Next week, get ready for a heavy dose of strained emotions, temper tantrums and more drama than you can shake a stick at. No, not the fallout from your questionable attempt at Valentine's Day romance - instead, February 15 sees the much-talked-about Full Swing documentary hit our TV screens.

So, first things first: do your thing, get all the mushy stuff out of the way, bag the brownie points and then get ready to settle in and let the other love in your life take centre stage.

If you're reading and still thinking, 'what the heck is Full Swing?', the year's 2023 and we're glad you've finally come out from under that rock. As the rest of you will already know by now, the new Netflix docuseries promises a behind-the-scenes look at the PGA Tour, and we're positively drooling (metaphorically, at least) at the prospect of some of the game's biggest stars making an appearance.

We're talking Spieth, Thomas, Morikawa. We're talking DJ, Koepka, Poulter. We're talking the soap-opera-that-is PGA Tour vs LIV Golf.

Need a little more? OK. Have Scheffler, Finau, Fitzpatrick. And let's throw in the current world no.1 for good measure.

With the same team responsible for the hugely successful 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' series behind the camera, we're getting genuinely excited. If you need more than that to get your own motor running, sorry, we're out of ideas.

So, what should we expect?

We're all fans of tour-level golf, so we generally understand that plenty of blood, sweat and tears go into the making (or breaking) of a successful career - but do we get just how much these players toil?

Get ready for a deep new look into the professional game where the stakes are high, and the line between success and failure is very thin. And the year it was will serve only to heighten the drama - the 2021/22 golf season was one of the most unforgettable in recent memory.

As Ian Poulter perfectly quips in the teasing trailer:

"You picked a helluva year to start following the PGA Tour."

Not in their wildest dreams could the show's producers have hoped to be served such a compelling storyline on a silver platter. Unlike scripted reality shows, where plot twists are just as fake as their contestants, the civil war between PGA Tour/LIV Golf makes Full Swing unmissable.

We'll be getting an access all areas dive into the everyday lives of the world's best golfers. We'll hear personal stories of triumph and tragedy. We'll see the determination, grit, and mental fortitude it takes to rise to the top.

To help get you even more pumped, check out the Full Swing episode running order below.

Your Full Swing Episode Guide

Episode 1: Frenemies - Full Swing debuts with a focus on Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth and charts their relationship from childhood friends to PGA Tour rivals. We also get the inside track on JT's 2022 PGA Championship win and the week at Southern Hills.

Episode 2: Win Or Go Home - Brooks Koepka takes the spotlight as he describes his recent struggles and the desire to get back to the form that saw him win four major championships.

Episode 3: Money Or Legacy - Ian Poulter is the main focus of episode 3 as he wrangles with whether to defect to the LIV Tour. It's a decision between money or legacy, and (spoiler alert) money wins the day.

Episode 4: Imposter Syndrome - Joel Dahmen features heavily and, in his usual self-deprecating style, talks about learning to cope with growing responsibilities and why he feels he may never be a 'great' golfer.

Episode 5: American Dreams - American Dreams follows both Matt Fitzpatrick and Dustin Johnson. DJ explains his decision to join LIV Golf (spoiler, it's money) while the episode ends with Fitzpatrick's memorable US Open triumph and 'that' shot.

Episode 6: Don't Get Bitter Get Better - Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa were inspired by the Big Cat and his quote, 'Don't Get Bitter, Get Better'. They both talk about their personal journeys and differing approaches to the game.

Episode 7: Golf Is Hard - Sahith Theegala and Mito Pereira learn that winning doesn't come easy. Sahith's near miss at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Mito's PGA Championship heartbreak are even harder to watch the second time around.

Episode 8: Everything Has Led To This - Rory McIlroy takes centre stage in the final episode as the cameras follow the world no.1 at the 150th Open and later at the Tour Championship season finale.

Could we see a new generation of golf fans?

One of the biggest wins of the 'Drive to Survive' series was that the show helped show Formula 1 in a fresh light and brought it to an entirely new audience. Exclusive interviews, unseen footage and behind-the-scenes drama, made the sport much more accessible and helped us 'feel' for the drivers on a human level.

We can expect the same for Full Swing. There will be many new eyes on the docuseries, which can only be good for the game, and the featured golfers will have a unique opportunity to display their off-course personalities.

Rumour has it that a second series is already in the works. That's for another day, though. For now, get the popcorn ready because Feb 15 is just around the corner.

Full Swing has the potential to be truly groundbreaking and about as unmissable as golf gets.