Full Swing Season 4: A Year Like 2025 Is What This Show Was Built For

When we look back at the 2025 golf season a decade from now, we will remember two massive moments. The first is easy; Rory McIlroy makes history at Augusta National and we all got to witness that gut wrenching final two hours of will he/won’t he actually get this done.

The other was Bethpage Black and the Ryder Cup, which makes it no surprise that Season 4 of Full Swing leans into both—front half on Augusta, back half on Bethpage.

If Season 4 proves anything, it’s that the Ryder Cup isn’t a week...it’s a two-year obsession.

Now available on Netflix, the docuseries is produced by Pro Shop’s own Chad Mumm and Mark W. Olsen, alongside PGA TOUR Studios, Vox Media Studios, and Box to Box Films.

RELATED: What's it Like for Players Featured on Full Swing? Let Sahith Theegala Tell You

One big takeaway from this season is how massive the Ryder Cup is to every player with a shot of making one of the two teams the entire season. This isn’t something players are thinking about when the summer hits; this is something that gets ingrained right when the Ryder Cup ends and over the next two years until it begins again.

Of course, one of the key figures in the history of Full Swing is Keegan Bradley. Ohhh, Keegan. What a roller coaster we’ve been on, my friend.

Of all the drama following Keegan around during his stressful moments at the 2023 Ryder Cup, nothing compared to what would unfold when Bradley was handed the reins as the American captain. Keegan was playing exceptional golf last season but one of the more revealing moments early in the season came from Keegan at the Masters

Bradley missed the cut on the number at Augusta National but had to transition immediately into captain mode. It was a big theme of this new season; the juggling act that Keegan was forced to do considering he was still a fine player and was having a great year while also trying to piece together an American team that could compete and hopefully win during a bit of a transition period for the U.S.

RELATED: "No Part" of Keegan Bradley Will Ever Get Over That Ryder Cup Loss

The other thing to unfold in this new season is the introduction of the new 2025 PGA TOUR characters. Golf is usually run by the same faces each and every year, but we had some serious breakout stars last year.

J.J. Spaun won at Oakmont, and his journey is well documented from what he was as a youngster to the desire he’s chased as a professional to eclipse even his own dreams (Spaun was asked during one of the press conferences if he ever considered playing on a Ryder Cup team and his honest answer said everything you need to know about what he’s been able to do over the last two years during this meteoric rise).

We get introduced to Ben Griffin and his story that had him step away from the game only to return at the request of his boss. Griffin went from unknown to PGA TOUR winner to tallying three wins in a single season before earning a spot in the Ryder Cup in a matter of 10 months.

RELATED: Golf is Awesome, Vol. 165: Ben Griffin

A big part of this season was those things that you know exist with professional athletes but you’re never really shown; pro golfers drink a lot of coffee and pro golfers love their dogs. We got a lot of coffee cups and cute puppies during this season. More of both of those things are always welcome.

Image: Chris Gotterup and one of his dogs. Full Swing Season 4, Episode 3

This four-episode season did an amazing job of building up to the final act during a Ryder Cup season. Everything feels like it builds to that. Once the major championship season ends, there is the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup. And the Ryder Cup itself almost felt like two acts; the team portion that the Europeans dominated and Sunday singles that felt like a totally different tournament.

Access within a Ryder Cup has always been a no-no. Captains don’t want cameras in a team room because that is a sacred space. It feels like the Ryder Cup version of the Champions Dinner at Augusta National. You know it’s happening and you understand the importance of it but you don’t really know what goes on when the doors close.

Hearing the messages from the captains and seeing that notebook that Luke Donald carries around with him with all those scribbled notes occupying every page is a reminder that the Ryder Cup is much, much, MUCH more than three days of competition. This, for those lucky enough to get the nod to be a captain, consumes them.

RELATED: Luke Donald to Captain Team Europe Again at 2027 Ryder Cup

In a world of oversharing on social media and brands wanting their athletes to come off as perfect, Full Swing once again allows us into a world that is a bit more human than the one presented by so many.

Pro sports are supposed to be tough. It’s supposed to be exhausting and demanding. And in a year where it felt like so many things happened, we are once again lucky that the cameras were around to capture those special moments.

And dogs. Again, more dogs, please.

*Full Swing Season 4 (along with the first three seasons) are now available on Netflix.

Image: Full Swing Season 4, Episode 2