Netflix ‘Full Swing’ Episode 1 Review: Establishing PGA Tour’s On-Course Drama Before Getting to Fireworks Off the Course

Netflix’s much-anticipated “Full Swing” docu-series on the PGA Tour dropped on Wednesday, and while the meat of the episode focused on best buds Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, teases were given at the beginning and end of the episode about the drama that’s about to come.

Rory McIlroy. Jordan Spieth. Justin Thomas. These are all the stars and underdogs featured in Full Swing, a new golf docuseries coming to Netflix:https://t.co/HgA6ToyRk9

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) February 6, 2023

The decision to establish some of the PGA Tour’s best and keep the focus on the course was a good one. The story takes a few moments to help those unfamiliar with the inner workings of a golf tournament by explaining the format, how the cut works, etc.

You can also sense that the series is laying the groundwork for the PGA Tour to be the protagonists of the story that’s to come. Both Spieth and Thomas came off as extremely likable, and the specter of LIV Golf was already brought up in terms that make that entity the antagonist of the story the producers are telling.

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The episode, titled “Frenemies,” introduces us to Spieth and Thomas as best friends who also have the desire to leave the other one in the dust on the golf course.

Since this particular story picks up with Spieth winning the RBC Heritage last April at Hilton Head Island, I have a feeling that the timeline will jump around a bit as the series progresses. We then see Spieth and Thomas practicing (with some side bets taking place, of course) for the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Thomas talks about how it had been five years since he won a major, and this details his huge comeback on the final day to win this event. Before that, we get a great behind-the-scenes look at Thomas hitting up the local CVS due to dealing with some major allergy issues that affected his play in the third round. JT struggling to get the card reader to work at the self-checkout is probably the most relatable moment of the series.

Watching @JustinThomas34 get a 1,000 page novel length receipt while battling allergies and self checkout at CVS, and then 20 min later win the PGA Championship, has to be both the most relatable and unrelatable 20 min in TV history @netflix #FullSwing

— John Collins (@JohnCollinsGLG) February 16, 2023

We then revisit Mito Pereira’s heartbreak on the final hole and Thomas triumphing over Will Zalatoris in a playoff. The scene after Thomas’s win is also an interesting one, as he’s whisked off to a victory celebration and then leaves the course in the dark when he mentions that he wishes the good feelings of a big win like this lasted longer.

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Overall, it was wise for the series to focus on the drama that tournaments themselves bring. If it jumped right into the off-the-course drama of LIV Golf, it would feel too much like a soap opera, and if this is going to be a series that goes multiple seasons, the tournaments and personalities are going to be what makes it last.

The LIV storyline will be fun to watch develop in future episodes, but the debut set the groundwork for the series.