The third season of “Full Swing” debuted on Netflix today, and despite “occasional missteps,” the all-access documentary makes for “such an intriguing watch,” according to Shane Ryan of GOLF DIGEST. Of all the new players highlighted, Neal Shipley “probably gets the least screen time, but in his brief moments the amateur standout who turns pro mid-year comes off like an absolutely lovable golf dork.” Shipley “comes off like a gentle soul, and one who’s still young enough that he can still marvel at his childhood encounter with Tiger Woods” and “proudly show off the calligraphy on his Masters invitation.” Gary Woodland’s journey back from brain surgery, and Camilo Villegas and his wife Maria’s coping with the loss of their young daughter Mia to brain and spinal tumors are “the most gutting and memorable parts of the new season.” These episodes “highlight the fact that when ‘Full Swing’ manages to reach the humanity of the players, it’s at its best” (GOLF DIGEST, 2/25).
BREATH OF FRESH AIR: GOLF’s Dylan Dethier writes Shipley “is an unexpected delight.” He will “make you laugh and he’ll make you feel and he’ll take you inside a different corner of Augusta National; this is exactly the sort of access this show can provide that would be impossible elsewhere.” The “best episode” of the season is No. 6, which showcases Woodland’s fight with a brain tumor. As cameras accompany Woodland from his home to his tournaments all the way into his doctors’ offices, “you root for this longtime pro in a much more important battle than anything he’d face on course” (GOLF, 2/25).
PLENTY TO WORK WITH: SBJ’s Josh Carpenter wrote there are a handful of players in Season 3 that will be a marketer’s dream, but two stand out in the season’s first episode. Ludvig Aberg, the long-hitting Swede who looks like he was made in a factory, has a Ryder Cup under his belt and now a Signature series PGA Tour win. Brands will be attracted to his good looks and calm demeanor, which is on display in Episode 1 as he finishes runner up in the Masters. Also on display in Episode 1 is Shipley, the wide-eyed, long-haired Ohio State player who finished as the low amateur in last year’s Masters. From his messy college apartment in Columbus to his emotions of playing with Tiger Woods in the final round, Shipley should be a hit with viewers as he looks to gain his PGA Tour card (SBJ Unpacks).
IT INSISTS UPON ITSELF: GOLF DIGEST’s Shane Ryan writes in a separate piece it is “hard not to conclude that the show’s favorite character is ‘Full Swing’ itself.” Tom Kim tells his puppy “you’re on Season 3 Netflix, buddy.” Within five minutes, Ben Stiller appeared on camera saying, “I started watching ‘Full Swing,’ it’s great. … It’s really well done.” The show has “always been a show that insists on itself,” but where in past seasons the “self-consideration verging on narcissism seemed like tactical bombast, promoting something bigger, louder and sexier, now all that ‘this ain’t your daddy’s golf’ bravado feels like insecurity.” There is also “the persistent feeling from past seasons that the talking heads are being fed their lines rather than speaking them organically, and that certain proclamations are meant to build drama in ways that stretch belief” (GOLF DIGEST, 2/25).
