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'Full Swing' recaps: Episode 1 Frenemies

10 Min Read

Netflix

'Full Swing' recaps: Episode 1 Frenemies


    It’s finally here. “Full Swing,” the highly-anticipated Netflix docuseries that gives viewers unprecedented access to the PGA TOUR and its players, went live Feb. 15. All eight episodes were released simultaneously, allowing viewers a variety of options about how to consume this groundbreaking series. For some, a slow drip may be the preferred method, allowing them to fully soak in the behind-the-scenes look at their favorite players. Others may call in sick and binge all eight of the approximately 45-minute episodes.

    Whatever your preference, we’re here to help. First, a quick warning. These episode recaps are chock-full of spoilers. Proceed with caution. But each of these articles is intended to aid your viewing experience, either adding context to the most memorable scenes or helping you recall your favorite moments from episodes you’ve already binged. Enjoy this closer look at Episode 1 of “Full Swing.”

    Episode 1: Frenemies

    Main characters: Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth

    Supporting cast: Mike Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Sean Foley

    After all the anticipation for “Full Swing,” Netflix could have gone a number of different ways to open the series. The producers chose to go with a stock shot: Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

    The first scene captures viewers with a conversation relatable to so many golfers. Thomas is on the phone with then-fiancee Jillian, telling her that he and his buddy (Spieth) just finished at the golf course and he is on his way home. However, unlike most golfers, Thomas also mentions he’ll be getting on the private jet to come home, as he and Spieth drive their car right onto the tarmac.

    This first episode’s main storyline is familiar to PGA TOUR diehards. Born three months apart in 1993, Thomas and Spieth have been climbing the ranks of golf together since they were teens. They were amateur rivals, Junior Ryder Cup teammates and Spieth’s Texas Longhorns beat Thomas’ Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2012 NCAA Championships during their freshmen seasons (we see highlights of Spieth’s 3 and 2 win in their singles match)..

    The early minutes of the film also educate – and perhaps refresh diehard fans’ memories – of the early professional years of the Thomas and Spieth rivalry/friendship. Spieth broke through first and quickly. By the time Spieth won the 2017 Open Championship just days before his 24th birthday, he had 11 PGA TOUR wins, three major championships, a FedEx Cup title and had played on two Presidents Cup and two Ryder Cup teams. Thomas had four PGA TOUR wins, no majors and no Team USA appearances.

    That would change dramatically. Thomas went on to win the next major at the 2017 PGA Championship, won the 2017 FedEx Cup and has not missed a U.S. National Team since. His 15 PGA TOUR wins are now two more than Spieth’s 13.

    The two openly admit they both want to beat each other each week and finish with more wins than the other, but they also embrace their rare connection.

    “How’s your relationship with Jordan nowadays? Are you still tight?” a producer asks Thomas.

    “Yeah, he’s the best man at my wedding, so I hope he’d say the same,” Thomas answers.

    Another scene includes Thomas and Spieth on FaceTime with Spieth asking what he should avoid in his Best Man speech. “Pretty much whatever your instincts tell you, just avoid that,” Thomas snarks.

    If it wasn’t already clear from Michael Greller’s facial expressions or the latest No Laying Up video, Spieth is the comedian between the two.

    Amidst some Spring Break footage – Thomas is wearing a Baker’s Bay hat for part of the episode – Rickie Fowler pops in for some objective takes on the dynamic duo. 

    “They’re the first to either help each other or give each other s***,” he says with a straight face.


    Netflix's 'Full Swing': Spieth and JT's money game


    LET’S GET TO SOME GOLF


    Segueing from the bromance into competition, “Full Swing” makes its first PGA TOUR stop at the RBC Heritage. To golf fans, this may be a bit jarring, as the Hilton Head tournament falls one week after The Masters, but knowing the stars of this episode, this choice makes sense.

    If you are wondering how inviting this series may be to non-golf fans or more casual golf fans, there is a hand to guide you early on. Amanda Renner gives a quick explanation about some of the nuts and bolts of PGA TOUR golf: You are trying to record the lowest score, there is a cutline around 65 and ties and most tournaments last four days. Short, to the point and easy to understand.

    Some new faces are shown on the range and in the locker room at Harbour Town – Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Joel Dahmen and Sahith Theegala to name a few. Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter pop up, showing this series is not about to hide from a particular storyline in golf in 2022.

    Getting to Sunday at Hilton Head, Spieth charges for his playoff win over Patrick Cantlay. Thomas struggles early in the round and ultimately finishes in a tie for 35th. 

    Fittingly, the next scenes show Thomas back in Jupiter, grinding with Dad and swing coach Mike, while Spieth goes to Los Angeles for a commercial shoot and is commended on being a natural actor. For a few minutes, it feels like 2015-2017 again.

    SECRET SCENE AT SOUTHERN HILLS

    About 15 minutes into the episode, the focus shifts to the PGA Championship, which becomes a dominant storyline the rest of the way. Fans will remember last May, Thomas and Spieth made a stop at Southern Hills Country Club one week before the PGA Championship. Some photos from their practice round surfaced, but Netflix had cameras and microphones on the inside.

    Thomas and Spieth decide to play a hammer game, as Spieth says, “50 hammer, birdie double.” You can take your own guess at how many zeroes are after that 50. Both players explain the benefit of playing money-games as practice motivation.

    “The losing isn’t as bad as having to give that person money,” Thomas says.

    “It’s a lot more fun when people have to watch him give me money,” Spieth adds, referencing practice rounds he’s played with JT at PGA TOUR events.

    Mike Thomas diffuses any friction, recalling a story from a few years back: “They’re big practical jokers. Justin, the first year he played in Phoenix, Jordan paid the valet to move his car off-site. He came out to get his car, it wasn’t there. Of course he knew immediately who it was.”

    Another section of the build-up to the PGA Championship shows Thomas and Spieth in the gym at home. Thomas works with performance coach Kolby Tullier at the Joey D Golf Sports Training Center, where PGA TOUR banners line the walls, including many of his own. He mentions in 2020, Tullier made him do his ab work right under a Dustin Johnson Player of the Year banner as motivation.

    THE COMEBACK KID

    Thomas and Spieth are both shown to be finding confidence, but not necessarily form as they enter the PGA Championship. During the Southern Hills preview, Thomas calls his year pretty average and Spieth says his was pretty average until he won at the RBC Heritage (it is worth noting Spieth finished second and Thomas tied for fifth at the AT&T Byron Nelson between their trips to Southern Hills).

    Through the first two days of the PGA Championship, it is clear Thomas is a contender, while Spieth does not have his A-game. Thomas is alone in third place through 36 holes, while Spieth is at T30.

    One of the more unique scenes to the series comes after the second round when Thomas and Spieth both go to the gym and find Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Thomas uses equipment from GOLFFOREVER, a brand Scheffler endorses. Scheffler asks Thomas to turn the logo toward the camera, but JT refuses, saying, “If your company wants to pay me for it, I’ll gladly flip it around.”

    Looks like Scheffler got the publicity anyway.

    Riding away from the course with the producers, Thomas sounds congested, chalking things up to allergies. He takes a ride to CVS telling the crew, “Physically, I’m not in the state that I would like to be in. I just had no energy, I had no strength.”

    He makes a few purchases – although it takes him a few tries to get his credit card to work in the self-checkout card reader (the pros, they’re just like us!) –  and goes back home with some medicine and a three-shot deficit.

    The allergies story checks out now. Thomas, who opened with two 67s, shot a 74 on Saturday, dropping him seven strokes behind new leader Mito Pereira. Spieth logged his own 74, taking him out of contention.

    Things turn for Thomas on Sunday, perhaps as the allergy medicine kicks in. A voiceover mentions Thomas had a 1.2% chance of winning the PGA Championship at the start of the final round and the show makes sure to show Thomas’ pure shank on the sixth hole. However, a 32 on the back nine gets Thomas into the clubhouse with another 67, getting him to 5-under.

    Pereira will want to turn this off in the last 10 minutes. It is easy to forget on the 17th hole, Pereira came within a rotation or two from making a birdie, which would have given him a two-stroke advantage headed into the final hole. Instead, he walks to No. 18 with a one-shot lead over Thomas and Will Zalatoris, and Netflix’s audio picks up a fan yelling, “Shot of your life!” as Pereira addresses his tee shot.

    Oh no.

    Pereira hits it in the water – Netflix has a camera right at the creek – and Thomas heads to the range. “I still got plenty of time, Dad,” Justin tells Mike as Dad appears more stressed than Son. Thomas asks for a monitor, or at least updates from Colt Knost.

    Thomas ultimately wins the playoff against Zalatoris, as producers capture the emotion between Justin, Mike, mom Jani and Jillian. Spieth, in an interview, notes that he had left Southern Hills before Thomas’ win, but roots for Thomas whenever he is out of contention in a tournament.

    Thomas is now two ahead of Spieth on the PGA TOUR wins lists, but still one behind in major titles.

    CHIP SHOTS

    – Mike Thomas explains that his father was difficult on him as a form of motivation, but they “butted heads” because of it. Mike says he didn’t enjoy how he felt being treated like that, and he says, “I just kinda made a promise to myself that I would just never treat my children that way.” Along with being Justin’s swing coach, Mike is a PGA Professional, and his father Paul was also a club pro.

    – Rory McIlroy has one talking head cameo, saying before the PGA Championship, “This is my 16th year on TOUR. The pinnacle of golf will always be the four major championships, but the four that I won were so long ago that I feel like I’m trying to win my first one again.”

    – Tiger Woods makes one cameo, hitting his opening tee shot at the PGA Championship. Woods, who made the cut but withdrew on the weekend, played the first two days with Spieth.

    – Phil Mickelson’s absence as the defending champion of the PGA Championship is mentioned as part of growing speculation of the LIV Golf Series (at this point, the first LIV Golf field had not been announced). Cutaways are shown of Johnson, Poulter and Brooks Koepka. Those three players, along with Abraham Ancer, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na and Bubba Watson, were announced as part of the initial participants in the Netflix series, and have since joined LIV Golf.

    – As previously mentioned, Amanda Renner explains some of the ins and outs of PGA TOUR golf during the RBC Heritage portion. She later returns during the PGA Championship section to explain what “Moving Day” means and how a playoff works. Similarly, Barstool Sports’ Daniel Rapaport explains the significance of the four majors, while GOLF.com’s Dylan Dethier and Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee discuss some background of the LIV Golf Series. Viewers will find familiar voices present throughout the series to help guide old and new fans.

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