Full Swing Season 2 review: Golf’s explosive 2023 teed up tantalizing storylines and Netflix strikes gold

The opening scene of Netflix’s Full Swing season 2 ends with Rory McIlroy turning to the camera and saying, “It’s been a great year in golf.”

He didn’t lie. And Netflix’s cameras were rolling to capture every moment of the sport’s explosive 2023.

Last year undoubtedly had tantalizing storylines of a fiery Ryder Cup match, victories and of course the bomb news on June 6 about the ceasefire of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

And while the sport didn’t exactly give Netflix a hard time, unlike its debut season, the streaming giant flushed it out.

While Season 1 was a surface-level introduction to golf, Season 2 delves deep into one of the most harrowing years in the sport.

Rory McIlroy sets the tone for a dramatic season in the opening scene of episode 1

The eight-part series, releasing March 6, will cover all of golf’s biggest moments, especially the merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

The breaking news rocked the sport when it was announced to the surprise of everyone (even the players) and the cameras rolled to capture their live reactions.

They were at Justin Thomas’ house as he watched PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on TV. They were with Joel Dahmen and his caddie, Geno Bonnalie, at a Waffle House reading the news on their phones. They sat in the car with Collin Morikawa and caddy Jonathan Jakovac, leaving them stunned.

Most importantly, Netflix was there to capture the candor of the PGA Tour’s sacrificial lamb, McIlroy. “I’m almost at the point where it’s like, f**k it, do what you want to do,” he whines in a behind-the-scenes shot of him in his car.

The Northern Irishman, like his role in the Tour, is the main figurehead of the series, having to overcome the consequences of rock golf’s biggest bomb.

McIlroy is a man unleashed. He is purely uninhibited in his behind-the-scenes interviews, even dropping the bombshell that he wishes LIV rebel Brooks Koepka wouldn’t triumph at the Masters or the PGA Championship.

The two-part curtain-raiser dedicated to the fallout builds on Monahan’s reckoning in the form of the players’ only meeting, which ironically is the one moment the Netflix cameras weren’t allowed to capture. And the ultimate question golf fans have been asking themselves for the past nine months rears its head again: How on earth does Monahan still have a job?

While Netflix finds its way into the drama, it also blends the storylines fans tuned in for with the game’s broader stories, making for plenty of raw moments.

Season 2 of Full Swing 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 triumph at the Masters or PGA Championship

The cameras capture all the action, including at the players’ homes (photo Justin Thomas)

The Masters and the PGA Championship provide the backdrop for the PGA-LIV soap opera, but also serve as the backdrop for McIlroy’s ongoing big drought, Koepka’s redemption arc and Dahmen’s struggles.

Dahmen, who has 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 comes with fatherhood and newfound popularity – fame, ironically , sparked by his breakout performance on Full Swing.

The particularly heartbreaking storyline culminates in his popular caddie, Geno Bonnalie, sitting in tears on a private jet and giving his friend an ultimatum: get help or he’ll walk.

The episode focuses on the mental side of the game and especially emphasizes the help of sports psychologists in the game. But it is quickly balanced by the light-hearted moments Tom Kim and the Fitzpatrick brothers in the following chapters.

Already a fan favorite, Kim further endears herself as one of the most likable faces in golf.

Meanwhile, Alex Fitzpatrick looks to escape from the shadow of his older brother, 2022 US Open champion Matt, at the Open at Royal Liverpool in episode 5, delivering several heartwarming moments from the extremely lovable family, as well as an insight into the world of golf . outside the top ten players on the PGA Tour.

The three episodes are perfectly written to summarize the game’s highest highs and lowest lows.

They also build excitement for the big finale that fans know is coming. Viewers will have to wait until the series shifts focus to the Ryder Cup, with the final two episodes ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’ teasing the spectacular, but episode 6 really is the essential watch.

Joel Dahmen and his caddy Geno Bonnalie share an emotional moment in episode 3

Tom Kim further endears himself as one of the most likable faces in golf

Alex Fitzpatrick (pictured) appears to be escaping from the shadow of his older brother, Matt

The chapter, titled “Pick Six,” follows Team USA captain Zach Johnson’s agonizing deliberation as he tosses between friend Justin Thomas and veteran Keegan Bradley for the final pick.

It reflects Bradley’s desperation to form another Ryder Cup team as he focuses on events to give Johnson every reason to select him, while also showing the ‘boys’ club’ the US side has become, with the captain dines with Thomas, who is still vying for a spot despite a season of on-court struggles.

The episode juxtaposes Thomas’ ultimate elation with Bradley’s heartbreak to perfectly explain the meaning of the tournament, leaving even non-golf fans on the edge of their seats as the series travels to Marco Simone.

Viewers have no doubt about the level of passion on the Italian course and like the rest of the season, Netflix shows it all.

The creators even manage to circumvent the restriction of being denied access to the teams’ locker rooms. And yes, Cap-Gate is caught on camera with everything said during that fiery interaction between the Europeans and Patrick Cantlay’s caddy, no exception.

There are times when you wonder why Brian Harman and his underdog Open win haven’t been mentioned. There’s barely a peep from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the face of the game Tiger Woods or any of the LIV stars, aside from a brief interview from Dustin Johnson.

It also makes you wonder why we haven’t heard about Jon Rahm, his Masters win and eventual LIV defection, but maybe that’s being kept in the vault for next year… continue with season 3?

But overall, Full Swing Season does a good job of not forcing the storylines just because they’re the ones making headlines.

The season ends in a grand finale with a two-part look at the tough Ryder Cup in Rome

It reflects Keegan Bradley’s (pictured) desperation to make another Ryder Cup team

Team USA captain Zach Johnson (R) as he toils between friend Justin Thomas (L) and Bradley

It’s rare that a sequel can match the quality of the original. It is even rarer that it obscures it. 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, packed with every storyline imaginable and you still don’t want it to end.

2024 won’t have any sport-changing news mid-year. There will also be no Ryder Cup. But season 2 suggests that Netflix has refined its formula for condensing an entire golf season into the right storylines.

Season 2 gives fans confidence that Full Swing can deliver value, fully formed plots and, most importantly, organic storytelling. Make sure season 3 is ready already.