Full Swing, to be released on Netflix on February 15, follows dramatic year of golf in 2022, including major wins for Justin Thomas and England's Matt Fitzpatrick plus the emergence of LIV Golf; Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter among other players to feature in documentary
Wednesday 18 January 2023 07:24, UK
Justin Thomas says Netflix found a "mindblowing" year of golf on which to base its soon-to-air documentary Full Swing.
The PGA Tour confirmed in January 2022 that the streaming service would have unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to its tournaments plus the game's four men's major championships.
Full Swing, to be released on February 15, features Thomas' victory at the PGA Championship and Matt Fitzpatrick becoming just the fourth Englishman in the last century to win the US Open.
However, it also includes the dramatic fallout from the emergence of the lucrative, Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, which has created a great divide within the sport.
A number of players signed up for Full Swing before joining LIV Golf, including Ian Poulter, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.
World No 8 Thomas said: "Maybe [Netflix] just knew something that we didn't.
"It is mindblowing when it started at the beginning of the year and the amount of storylines just through players and what they're trying to accomplish.
"I don't think anybody could have been sitting here at this time last year and said what was going to happen.
"I'm excited to watch and it couldn't have really drawn up a better year or situation as to what happened throughout the course of the year. It's kind of crazy to say but as a golf fan, I'm excited to watch it.
"I know what (footage) I shot, but I don't know what Tony Finau shot, or what Rory (McIlroy) shot. It's going to be interesting and cool.
"I see these guys and they're standing on the third tee or whatever, but I'm still going to see things that I've never seen.
"Everyone who's a big golf fan will enjoy that side, whereas other people that have maybe never heard of even par before will learn what that is. I think that's what's very unique about it."
Asked why he agreed to sign up for the series, two-time major champion Thomas added: "The main reason was to try to create and grow the audience and fanbase in terms of the Tour and the game of golf.
"If the game of golf can become a bigger and better place from this then all of us benefit.
"It's just a good opportunity for some of us to show our personalities or our week-to-week life, daily life, our travel - just stuff like that people would never see unless we gave some kind of access like this."
Netflix is available on Sky Q and Sky Glass
