Netflix episode summary: The PGA Tour finds a new rival in LIV Golf as both sides meet at the Masters Tournament. Rory McIlroy tries to play his best while taking on a new role.

Star of the episode: Rory McIlroy. Easy. Over the last two years fans have seen a different side of McIlroy. He fought tooth and nail for the PGA Tour (shown this episode) and then was vulnerable after the announcement of the framework agreement. In Episode 1 he admitted to putting himself in the position to defend the Tour but he didn’t ask for it and even voiced his displeasure with Brooks Koepka beating him to five major championships. McIlroy was a necessity for Full Swing to stay interesting and Season 2 is off to a great start thanks to him.

Thoughts and highlights:

The episode opened Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler peppering a porta-potty with golf balls on the range at the WM Phoenix Open while Adam Hadwin was using it. Classic guy humor. Dudes rock.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan’s comments at the Players Championship about the Tour “moving on” and “legacy not leverage” is going make for a tough look later in the season.

“They’re portrayed as the villains, we’re portrayed as the good guys, the guys that stayed, there’s certainly something there,” Rory said about the LIV guys with the cheekiest of smiles and laughs.

Rory admitted he laid an egg at the Masters and said dealing with everything outside of golf fatigued him. Cameras also picked up his vent session with his caddie and agent in the PGA Championship locker room where he said, “It feels so far away” and that while he feels good enough to top 10, he didn’t feel good enough to pull away and win.

Justin Thomas had the line of the episode during the PGA Championship champion’s dinner. He gave a toast to Mito Pereira, who blew the 2022 PGA and opened the door for him to win. Even Koepka and Phil Mickelson laughed at their LIV Golf colleague’s expense.

I wish we got more from Koepka on his Masters loss and PGA win. Only archival footage from TV and podcast interviews were used. We got more of his wife than Brooks.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 2

Netflix episode summary:  A mind-blowing merger shocks the golf world. At the U.S. Open, Dustin Johnson reunites with PGA Tour players and Rickie Fowler attempts a comeback.

Star of the episode: Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky were pretty heavily featured but this one was all about Rickie Fowler. From his collapse at the U.S. Open to the win two weeks later at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the episode showed a side of Fowler that fans don’t get to see too often. Fowler talked about his struggles. His wife Allison talked about his struggles. His coach Butch Harmon talked about his struggles. As fans, we see fun guy Rickie, but rarely introspective Rickie. It was a nice change of pace.

Thoughts and highlights:

The episode opened with the CNBC interview with Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jay Monahan discussing the framework agreement. Everybody was caught off guard. Players. Media. Fans. “What the (expletive)” was the stock answer. Justin Thomas. Collin Morikawa. Rory McIlroy. Everyone had the same reaction.

McIlroy on the framework agreement news: “I’m like, ‘Why did I just waste 12 months of my life to fight for something that was always going to come back together again?’”

“We knew what we were signing up for.” – Dustin Johnson said the guys that went to LIV were the ones who took the risk, so why should those who didn’t get compensated?

Fowler’s wife, Allison, admitted she knew 5 golfers, one of them was Rickie, and all she knew was he wore orange. Checks out.

Fowler complaining to USGA officials (and McIlroy) about putting out in darkness at the U.S. Open was a great get for the cameras. Shoutout Rickie for doing that in person and not going off during a presser. Classy move.

Butch Harmon: very good on camera. Claude Harmon: not so much.

“We’re gonna get one of these things sooner or later,” – McIlroy in U.S. Open locker room. Tough watch.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 4

Netflix episode summary:  Newfound fame and fatherhood begin to impact Joel Dahmen’s game and personal life. Wyndham Clark gets help to scope with the pressures of golf.

Star of the episode: Joel Dahmen and Wyndham Clark were featured but Dahmen came out as the star once again. Fans got to know Clark’s story during the U.S. Open last year, and we learned a lot about Dahmen in season one. That said, it was incredibly moving to see him and his caddie break down together on a plane and see Dahmen’s transition throughout the episode that led to him accepting the fact that he needs outside help to get back his career back on track.

Thoughts and highlights:

Joel became a fan-favorite thanks to season 1 and his golf has never been worse. “I would say I’m the lowest-ranked player with the most fans,” he quipped.

The fame bug bit Dahmen’s caddie, Geno Bonnalie, as well. He couldn’t help but respond to a fan, “Wait, really?” when he was asked for an autograph.

Bonnalie said he thought Dahmen put it on cruise control after all the changes from the Netflix fame to a new baby and house. Life came at Dahmen fast in 2023, and it showed. Dahmen said he was resistant to using a sports psychologist because of what happened when he saw a grief counselor after his mom died. The theme for the episode was loud and clear as the show snapped to the story of Clark and Julie Elion, his sports psychologist.

I thought it was weird they skated over Clark’s U.S. Open win and focused on Rickie in episode two, but the producers used it as a quasi-transition to this episode. This was the first time the show felt jumped in season two as it bounced back to PGA Championship and again to the U.S. Open. It’s not as linear as last season, but you can tell the producers have a method for the madness with the mental health storyline for episode three.

A lot of this came out after the Wells Fargo and U.S. Open wins in 2023, but it was great to see Clark open up about his work with his sports psychologist and what he went through when his mother died and how he came through on the other side. There are a lot of connections between the two players. Both lost their mothers. Both struggled with their game and whether or not they wanted to keep playing. Clark is on the other side, but Dahmen still hasn’t gotten there.

The end of the episode was really moving. Dahmen said he and his wife had a discussion about how things weren’t working and he said he wished Bonnalie was harder on him and didn’t tread so carefully.. “Being famous and shooting 76 is (expletive) the worst thing in my life,” said Dahmen.

That led Bonnalie to give him an ultimatum that he needed to talk to someone. To see two grown men who are usually so happy-go-lucky and fun really go through something heavy was touching and by far the best moment in the show’s short history.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 1, the best by far.

Netflix episode summary:  After a stellar performance at the Presidents Cup, 20-year-old Tom Kim’s star continues to rise – but can he meet expectations on a major stage?

Star of the episode:

The easy answer is Tom Kim, of course, but shoutout to the little kid who asked Kim to get Rory McIlroy to come and sign autographs at the U.S. Open. In all seriousness, we didn’t learn too much in this episode aside from how hampered he really was at the Open Championship, but it was cool to see his mindset flip from the Masters to the Open. He was disappointed with a T-16 at the Masters but really seemed to grow and appreciate how he battled to stay in the mix at the Open.

Thoughts and highlights:

I agree with Sean Foley that Kim is a generational talent. Bradford Wilson saying he’s a “literal global superstar” … not so fast, pal.

“He’s too nice, I can’t even give him (expletive).” – Justin Thomas said of Kim.

Not only does Kim have a remote-controlled drink cooler, but he rides it around his house. Slowly. One, who has one of those? Two, who rides it around like a pony?!

Kim missing the turn down Magnolia Lane into Augusta National was a classic rookie move. And then he goes into the Champion’s locker room! That’s almost as good as Talor Gooch wearing shorts and talking on the phone on the range (okay not really).

I forgot that he fell in the mud at the PGA Championship near the creek! Seeing him get joked on up and down the locker room after was one of the funnier parts of the show so far.

We all knew Kim as the fun, happy player. The coverage of the Open showed he’s also got a little grit in his game as well playing through a grade-three tear in his ankle to finish T-2.

I expected to see a few more fun clips from Kim, but this episode was all business. Good, not great.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 7

Netflix episode summary:  As his older brother Matt rides the wave of success after wining the U.S. Open, Alex Fitzpatrick looks to blaze his own path to golf flory.

Star of the episode: The entire Fitzpatrick family. From the parents down to Matt and Alex and their significant others, the entire lot are a genuine joy to watch. Fans will be rooting for that family for years to come because of this show, and they should. Despite all the success, they’re still just as hardworking, down-to-earth and self-deprecating as before. They’re a living, breathing Full Swing storyline every year.

Thoughts and highlights:

Loved how Alex openly admitted he’s jealous of Matt. He said it’s a gift and a curse to be his brother due to the constant comparison. “It’s a goal to get out of Matt’s shadow. Whether it’s doable, I don’t know.” Talk about foreshadowing!

Matt’s trip with the Claret Jug to his favorite soccer club, Sheffield United trip, was really fun. It’s cool to see other professional athletes be so excited to meet and talk to other professional athletes.

There’s a really interesting connection between Alex and his girlfriend, Rachel Kuehn, a star amateur player at Wake Forest who will be pro before the end of 2024. Kuehn’s mother was a star amateur golfer, and Rachel is trying to get out of her mom’s shadow. Alex is doing the same with Matt.

Loved how honest Alex was about feeling so far away from getting on the PGA Tour. These shows are only good when the subjects are honest and aren’t just playing it up for the camera.

A fan asked Alex, “Matt can I have your hat?” He quipped, “They would’ve gotten my hat if they called me Alex.” Love a good petty response.

Seeing Alex go from not knowing if he could make it at the next level to his top-20 performance at the Open Championship was a great story arc to follow for an episode. He’s going to come out of this show with even more fans than he did after his Open debut.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 3

Netflix episode summary: U.S. captain Zach Johnson makes his selections for the Ryder Cup team, while Justin Thomas worries he may not make it to Rome after a tumultuous year.

Star of the episode: Justin Thomas was heavily featured but Keegan Bradley really stood out. How open he was about wanting to make it back to the Ryder Cup and being someone on the outside looking in who wasn’t part of the cool kids club made you pull for him even if you knew what his Ryder Cup outcome was going to be.

Thoughts and highlights:

Thomas said 2023 could be one of the most influential seasons of his career when he looks back in 15-20 years. You never enjoy seeing someone struggle, but to see JT open up about just how bad things were going really showed a different side to him.

I loved seeing guys like Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley talk about how much they love the Ryder Cup. I would love to hear that from someone like Patrick Cantlay.

Bradley’s unopened Ryder Cup suitcase from 2014 is such a crazy story. Staring that thing down in your closet for a decade has to hurt every single time.

Zach Johnson spoke really well during interviews for this episode … where was that before, during and after the Ryder Cup?

Knowing what eventually happens, your heart just has to break for Bradley. He worked so hard, played so well and made a strong case for a spot yet still remained on the outside looking in. The camera catching him whispering to his wife “Do you want to go to Rome” was great work.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 5

Netflix episode summary: The U.S. team is ready to dominate in the Ryder Cup once more, but European captain Luke Donald is determined to lead his team to victory in Rome.

Star of the episode: Golf fans on the U.S. side of the pond don’t know much about Luke Donald and the episode showed how confident he was in his team and their process from his captain’s selections all the way until the opening morning rout of the Americans. Donald was put in a tough position to rebuild a team ravaged by players leaving for LIV Golf, and he took the baton and ran with it. That said, I wish we got a little more from the European captain.

Thoughts and highlights:

The captain’s phone calls were all pretty meh, expected a bit more from the guys who got picked. And then they showed Keegan Bradley getting the bad news call. Tough to watch but Bradley took it like a champ and you could see how much the decision weighed on Zach Johnson. One of the best clips of the show so far.

Love how Luke Donald said the U.S. didn’t pick the best team “statistically,” nice subtle little dig there.

Interesting for Justin Rose to say he wasn’t sure how Team Europe would fair for the next decade after getting historically rolled in 2020.

Rory McIlroy gave Nicolai Hojgaard advice during the practice round after he told him how nervous he was and I expected more clips like this, too, given how many rookies were making their debut on both teams.

It was crazy to see how shell-shocked the U.S. players and captains were Friday morning after being swept 4-0. It’s like they didn’t know what just hit them and didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.

The show did well to explain just how much the Ryder Cup means to both teams, but I feel like this episode will be enjoyed more by fringe golf fans than those of us who watch weekly. Golf fans probably didn’t learn or see much that they didn’t already know.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 8

Netflix episode summary: The Ryder Cup gets off to a shaky start for Team USA. Tensions run high after an incident on the 18^th green. The epic battle comes to an emotional end.

Star of the episode: Keegan Bradley, who wasn’t even at the Ryder Cup. Netflix cameras watched at home with Bradley, and he was great! He said how he wanted to be on the Ryder Cup team and feed off its youthful energy from guys like Justin Thomas, who ultimately got his spot. “If I was a captain, I’d want him in my locker room,” he said of Thomas. That takes some serious maturity and love for the game and Team USA. If I were a captain, I’d want a guy like Bradley in my locker room.

Thoughts and highlights:

Shoutout to the European fans. “Stand up if you’re 4-nil up” on Friday was funny. “Hats off to your bank account” and “Where’s your hat? Cantlay-ay-ay” to the tune of Zombie by the Cranberries might’ve been the chant of the week. European fans are just so, so creative and passionate.

Justin Thomas on European fans: “That’s what I love about the European fans. They’ll needle you and jab you all day, but if you go out there and win they’ll be the first person to tell you, ‘Great playing,’ and I appreciate that.”

They completely skipped the Saturday morning session after going all-in on Friday to focus on, you guessed it, Hat-gate.

We finally heard what Shane Lowry said to Joe LaCava (“get out of the way you (expletive).”) He was mad he was on top of McIlroy and thought the U.S. team let the celebration linger for too long on the 18th green and kept saying how he was at Whistling Straits when the U.S. rolled Europe, and the fans let ’em hear it. Justin Rose tried to be the voice of reason and admitted the hat-waving was funny.

You loved to see Donald back McIlroy after the parking lot confrontation. That’s the kind of fight and passion you want from your leader. Can only imagine Johnson wished the U.S. had more of that early on in the week.

Still can’t believe Rickie Fowler didn’t make Tommy Fleetwood make the clinching putt on the 16^th green. Fowler said he understood why people were mad he gave the putt, but said “But in any other time or match, that putt’s good. Why is it not in that situation?” Well, he clearly doesn’t get why people were mad then, because the Ryder Cup isn’t any other time or match. It’s the Ryder Cup. He should know that as a five-time player.

I wish we got more from Max Homa this season. He had such a good year and I would’ve loved more of his perspective, especially as a rookie who won a singles match on Sunday.

Episode ranking (1=Best, 8=Worst): 6