CNN
—
It seems like almost every sport now has a team of cameras behind the scenes filming the next best docuseries, and golf is no different.
Series 3 of Netflix’s show “Full Swing” has recently been released, with seven episodes tracking the 2024 season.
From heartbreaking storylines to one of the most viral moments in global sport last year, here are three of the biggest talking points from the new series of “Full Swing.”
1. Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
The golf world was stunned in 2024 when world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was arrested, charged and then released from jail before the start of the PGA Championship.
Footage of his dramatic arrest went viral overnight and everyone was left wondering how one of the favorites for the tournament could end up in such a predicament.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, it was one of the most anticipated moments of the new series and one which showed just how chaotic the situation was.
In the documentary, several of Scheffler’s fellow golfers spoke of their surprise when they received the news, many thought the viral video of Scheffler being handcuffed and escorted to the back of a police car was some sort of prank.
The episode also included body-cam footage from inside the police car where it’s clear the officers did not initially know who Scheffler was.
“I assume you’re pretty good if you’re playing in the PGA,” one voice could be heard saying.
Scheffler, meanwhile, seemed a little embarrassed by the whole fiasco and clearly wants to put that all in the past.
“First of all I was freaking out because I somehow went from driving into the golf course to a jail cell and I still don’t really know how that happened exactly,” Scheffler said in the documentary.
“I don’t think it ever really felt real.”
Scheffler was charged with felony second-degree assault on a police officer and the lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic, Jefferson County court records showed.
Less than two weeks after the incident, though, all charges were dismissed.
2. Rory McIlroy’s starring role
Rory McIlroy didn’t appear much in the first series of “Full Swing” but has more than made up for it now. He features heavily throughout the third series and the passion he still has for the game is there for all to see.
It also shows just how much pressure he’s under as one of the most recognisable faces on the tour, as he bids to win his first major tournament in over a decade.
Episode three begins with the news that McIlroy had filed for divorce from his seven-year marriage with Erica Stollto in the lead up to the PGA Championship.
“There’s parts of my life that I like to keep as private as possible. Unfortunately in this line of work, that isn’t always possible,” McIlroy said in the documentary.
“I’ve always tried to be protective of my loved ones from people that have ill intentions. I think it was a wake up call for me to say ‘let’s just focus on the golf for a little bit’.”
A month later, McIlroy announced he and his wife had reconciled their differences on the eve of the US Open, a tournament which closes out episode three – and one that shows just how painful golf can be.
McIlroy was playing some of the best golf as he fought with American Bryson DeChambeau for the title. All the momentum appeared to be with the Northern Irishman during the final day, but things quickly began to unravel.
Three bogeys and a par across his last four holes, compounded by two horror close-range misses, resigned him to a closing 69. Even one stroke better would ultimately have been enough to force DeChambeau into a playoff.
Instead, McIlroy had to deal with the crushing disappointment of another near miss and could be seen solemnly walking around backstage as he made a quick exit from the tournament, without speaking to anyone.
“If you treat it as so binary as winning is good and not winning is bad, it’s a career of torture,” McIlroy said, lamenting his missed putt on the 16th hole.
“As crushing of a defeat that I’ve had in golf, it was probably the toughest finish to a tournament that I’ve ever had. I probably just did everyone a favor by getting out of there. I didn’t want to speak anyone, I didn’t want to see to anyone, I just wanted to get on the plane and go home.”
3. More than just golf
The new series also delves into the personal lives of the golfers on tour, and covers some of the toughest storylines imaginable.
For example, episode six looks at Gary Woodland’s remarkable return to the sport after undergoing brain surgery in 2023.
Woodland was experiencing life-changing symptoms and doctors finally found the cause to be a lesion pushing onto the part of the brain that controls fear and anxiety.
The surgery allowed Woodland to return to some sort of normality but he tells the documentary how hard it was preparing for surgery, knowing there was a chance he might never see his family again.
In an emotional scene, Woodland describes letters he wrote to his children and his wife before undergoing surgery.
“I wanted them to know that all I’ve ever dreamed of was being a professional athlete but being their dad was more than anything I could have dreamed of,” Woodland explained.
“Those letters were the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Just when the audience had recovered from such a tear-jerking moment, the following episode turned its attention to Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas and his family.
On July 26, 2020, Villegas and wife Maria’s 22-month-old daughter Mia died following a battle with brain and spine cancer.
Mia’s symptoms began during the first Covid-19 lockdown, meaning borders were closed which prevented the wider family all being together.
“Breathing was the only thing to stop me crying,” Villegas told the documentary.
The documentary then follows the family to a fundraising event for Mia’s Miracles Foundation – an organization they set up to support others going through similar hardship.
It also shows how the golf community rallied around Villegas, which helped him return to the game he loves.
“We are different people, both Camilo and I, and we are never going to be the same,” his wife Maria told the documentary.
“But I think his golf career is the biggest healer for him.”