Season 2 on Netflix as uncertainty continues to cloud the future of the PGA Tour alongside rival LIV Golf full swing The documentary series, set to be released Wednesday, sheds new light on the tensions at the top of professional golf.
Season 2 wastes no time diving into the drama, chronicling the PGA Tour’s battle with LIV and Rory McIlroy’s leadership in the league’s growing threat. Season 1 followed five golfers making the jump to LIV in 2022, but Dustin Johnson was the only one to return with a full appearance. “In Season 1, we established a precedent that this cast of characters would be coming, but not necessarily all coming from his PGA Tour,” executive producer Chad He Mumm tells us. front office sports. “So there wasn’t a lot of discussion about whether or not we were going to keep using a player like Dustin.”
Mumm also wanted Brooks Koepka back, and Koepka’s wife and swing coach sat in front of the cameras to appease Netflix, but the five-time major champion did not. “We tried hard to get Brooks to come interview for Season 2, but he was too busy winning a major,” Mumm says of the 2023 PGA Championship winner. “How nice it would have been to hear it in his own words.”
behind the scenes
Some of Mumm’s favorite interactions occurred between PGA Tour and LIV players at the Masters, which was the first time in eight months that golf’s feuding stars came together. And upscale golf clubs welcomed Netflix with open arms. “The Masters gives you great access,” Mumm says. “Augusta National has been great for us and our staff. …You get things that no one has ever seen. There’s a tour of the entire clubhouse on the Tom Kim episode, and this… This is a space that has never been photographed before.”
I’ll drink until then
Among the Season 1 stars returning for an encore is Joel Dahmen, a 36-year-old PGA Tour journeyman who has just one win in 2021. full swing He captivated viewers with his unconventional behavior, including downing several adult beverages in an attempt to qualify for the US Open.
“A lot of great opportunities came out of that,” Damen says of Netflix’s fame. “That’s why I couldn’t say no to Season 2.” These new opportunities included a sunglasses contract with his brand Knockaround and multiple alcohol-related paydays. Bushmills Irish Whiskey created an Arnold Palmer-inspired cocktail for Damen, Joel’s His Juicy Rye. And Finland’s Long Drink welcomed Damen as an ambassador.
Derek Bolen of Range Sports, Damen’s agent, said: Foss Golfers can now charge two to three times more for brand deals and paid time commitments than before. full swing It came out last year. “I think probably 99% of the time he could put it on Netflix,” Damen says of his growing interest.
cast call
In the early stages full swing Bolen said he reached out to Mumm to promote Damen. That cold call worked, but others had to wait their turn. He won six times on the PGA Tour; full swing Newcomer. “And I lobbied hard to be on Season 2 again, and luckily, I was chosen.”
“I, [Mumm and Netflix] And let them know how much you’re looking forward to this opportunity,” Bradley added. “If given the chance, I would be a completely open book.” For others, such persistence was not necessary. “They approached me first,” said Kim, a two-time winner in 2022 at the age of 20. “Obviously everyone wants to be on that show, but I… It was unfortunate that he received the invitation.”
Kim, who has already earned more than $11 million on tour, says she’s excited just to see herself featured in the series. “To be honest, before filming started, I was looking forward to my episode coming out. I hadn’t even shot a minute yet and I was already looking forward to watching it.”
