The second season of Netflix’s popular golf docuseries, Full Swing, was such a “capital D drama” season – with the announcement of the PGA Tour/LIV framework agreement and Rory McIlroy being stuck in the middle and the drama of the Ryder Cup.
So, for the third season, executive producer Chad Mumm says the crew wanted to get back to the tone of the opening season with a little more humour and a little more heart.
“There’s on course drama and off-course lifestyle drama but less about looking at this global cataclysm in the game. I think people are stick of that,” Mumm says. “When the show is at its best, it is extremely character focused. Season 2 was much more, overall, narrative focused. But I think what really worked well in Season 1 was how character focused that was relatable for golf fans and casual viewers alike.
Season 3 of Full Swing features seven episodes and a couple of things showcased for the first time – including an episode that features a prominent Canadian storyline, with the friendship of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor on display in episode two.
There is also an episode focused on caddies, and one episode that spends a decent amount of time focused on a female golfer.
The season concludes at the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal with, perhaps, the most epic, mic-drop line in the whole of the three seasons of the show.
This is the second season in a row where the conclusion comes at a team competition, which Mumm calls “a gift” from a filmmaking perspective.
“With golf being an individual sport and one that you don’t win that often, it’s hard to pay off storylines. Even if you have great access you have a top-10 player in the world and they’re not winning a major, it’s hard to pay off a storyline because you need big highs and big lows to make a story (work),” Mumm says. “That was the big takeaway from the Ryder Cup – it’s easy to land that storyline because half the characters are going to be devastated, and half are going to be elated.
“It is also one of the few times in golf when you know there is going to be a dramatic beat. The rest of the show, you’re kind of hoping and praying a player is going to be in contention or they’re going to win or stuff will happen off the course and it becomes a documentary-style story. The team events give you this dramatic beat that’s predictable.”
As far as the future of Full Swing is concerned, there does seem to be a bunch of loose ends yet to be tied up in the golf world.
Although Mumm couldn’t confirm if there would be a fourth season, he says there’s plenty left in the world of golf to cover – including the potential conclusion of the divisiveness in the pro game and giving viewers that “coming together” story.
There is, quite literally, no mention of the PGA Tour/LIV fraction in the third season.
From a featured-character perspective, the story of Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup captaincy at Bethpage Black in New York as the “most prominent” story left untold.
Season 2 featured the heartbreaking call of Bradley being left off the team, while Season 3 featured the redemption of him being included in the Presidents Cup and also being named the Ryder Cup captain.
“It would be a three-season arc,” Mumm explains. “And then every year you’ve got the same human storylines of winning majors for characters that people fall in love with.
“There’s more than enough stories to tell.”
NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD
Here’s some observations from each of the episodes in Season 3 of Full Swing.
EPISODE 1: A BRAVE NEW GAME
Featured golfers: Scottie Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Neal Shipley
Observations: Neal Shipley is the man. The amateur is not shown as much as the pros through the episode focused on the Masters, but his quips (not only about himself but also his game) are tremendous. A favourite is how someone from a group project at school saw him on TV at Augusta National (after he didn’t tell anyone he was in the field) and wondered what the heck he was doing. A moment alongside his father is also a top-tier emotional kick, too… Ludvig Aberg comes across much more light and fun then perhaps you first believe seeing his robot-like effort on the course. A cool cat with a ton of game to boot as he navigates his first go-around at major championships… Scottie is, well, Scottie. He of course goes on to win the Masters and has his first child, a son, and this episode kicks off what will become the year-of-Scottie.
EPISODE 2: THROUGH THICK AND THIN
Featured golfers: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin
Observations: Rory McIlroy continues to be a big part of Full Swing and this year, the first real focus on McIlroy is tied to his long-time friendship with Shane Lowry as the duo ends up going on to win the Zurich Classic together… There are some great visuals from a time-gone-by of the pair from back home in Ireland, and the story about how their pairing for the Zurich came together… And then, of course, there is the Canadian pals. The episode features Nick Taylor’s RBC Canadian Open win and dives into how Taylor continues to thrive, winning five times on the PGA Tour, while Hadwin is trying to continue to chase his friend… And yes, “the tackle” is both shown and talked about at length… Although the pay-off for the Canadians isn’t a happy one (they both, of course, don’t make the Presidents Cup at the end of the year) it was great to have them, and their friendship, play such a big part of the episode.
EPISODE 3: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK
Featured golfers: Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler
Observations: It’s too bad that DeChambeau did not sit for any interviews for the episode as he was such a big part of not only the U.S. Open – which he went on to win – but the PGA Championship as well, where he finished second. The team did the best with what they had, however, as he was painted as a villain-turned-hero. DeChambeau is now, based on social media following, one of the most popular golfers on the planet… The McIlroy heartbreak at the U.S. Open was on full display (you forget how far ahead he was, and how short those putts that he missed) and we do get to listen to McIlroy’s breakdown of why he left Pinehurst without saying anything. There are also some new insights into McIlroy’s divorce announcement and reconciliation… This episode also features more about Scottie Scheffler’s shocking arrest and some new reactions from those closest to Scheffler. The Netflix team also managed to procure some net-new footage from the City of Louisville to use in the series including some funny comments from the driving officer (who asked if Tiger Woods is “as good as they say he is”)
EPISODE 4: CARRYING THE BURDEN
Featured caddies: Ted Scott, Carl Smith
Observations: Caddies are the window into a player and it should come as no surprise that this episode is one of the best of the season… Ted Scott, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, and Carl Smith, Sahith Theegala’s caddie, are prominently shown… The episode wraps up Scotties’ tremendous season with his run at the Tour Championship, and also Theegala’s very solid week at East Lake… There’s a good run of scenes that shows Theegala calling a penalty on himself at the season finale (that no one could really see) which ends up costing him $2 million… Smith was formerly the head golf coach at Pepperdine before he went to caddie (Theegala went to the school but they did not cross paths) while Scott has been looping on tour for 25 years.
EPISODE 5: TWO TICKETS TO PARIS
Featured golfers: Min Woo Lee, Minjee Lee, Wyndham Clark.
Observations: Clark was also featured in the second season as he navigated anxiety to go on to win the U.S. Open… This time around he’s trying to battle for a spot on the American Olympic team, which he ends up getting after a final-event showdown with Patrick Cantlay for the last spot… There’s also a good part of the episode that focuses on Clark’s business partnership with actor Mark Wahlberg (who is also, yes, featured in the show)… Brother-sister duo Minjee Lee and Min Woo Lee’s journey to Paris is also part of the episode. Minjee is a multi-time major champion and one of the best female golfers in the world, so her spot for Australia is all but locked up. Brother Min Woo, however, didn’t have such an easy time. His storyline is drawn out as he gets the final Australian spot alongside childhood hero Jason Day… Min Woo is painted as typical Gen Z, and more focused on growing his social media following than playing good golf. There’s a sense that viewers wouldn’t think otherwise about Min Woo after this episode as he fully admits he doesn’t work as hard as he could or should.
EPISODE 6: LAST SHOT
Featured golfers: Gary Woodland, Justin Rose
Observations: The best episode of the season… Gary Woodland is shown as he recovers from brain surgery (he had a legion that was pressing on the ‘fear’ part of his brain, basically making his life a living hell for years) and returns to the PGA Tour… The most emotional moment of the entire season, and, to be frank, perhaps one of the most emotional of the entire series, was when Woodland recalled writing letters to his three children prior to surgery, just in case he didn’t make it through… Justin Rose’s storyline is bumped up against Woodland’s as an elder statesman in golf still trying to part of the battle. It’s not as emotional but you realize quickly that Rose’s story is compelling. He won local qualifying to get back into The Open Championship and then came agonizingly close to actually winning the claret jug. It’s great insight into the mind of an aging sure-fire hall of famer.
EPISODE 7: REBIRTH
Featured golfers: Keegan Bradley, American Presidents Cup Team, International Presidents Cup Team, Camilo Villegas.
Observations: Just when you think you’ve emotionally recovered from the episode focused on Gary Woodland, you get Camilo Villegas’ story and the background on how he and his wife lost their toddler-aged daughter to cancer. Phew. A strong bit of storytelling and, again, an example of this show at its best… Villegas is one of the assistant captain’s for the International Team at the Presidents Cup, which is the anchor event of the whole of 2024… Mike Weir – the captain of the International Team – and his wife Michelle are also prominently featured… Keegan Bradley’s storytelling arc continues as we last heard from him when he was left off the American Ryder Cup team in 2023. He gets named the captain for 2025 and also is a pick for Team USA for the Presidents Cup team… Bradley ends up clinching the cup-winning point at the end of the week and delivers the best (by far!) line in Full Swing history, telling the American team room in Montreal that, with respect to the 2025 Ryder Cup and his captaincy: “I’ve been doubted my whole (expletive) life. That’s when I do my best work. We are going to go to Bethpage to kick their (expletive) ass