“Full Swing” review: Golf documentary asks the big questions

A friend used to proclaim her status as a sports junkie by saying, “I would listen to golf on the radio.” » But would she watch an eight-part golf series on Netflix? Of course. Even so, the most dedicated fan will have questions about “Full Swing,” its stance and take.

For some time now, the biggest story in golf has been the intrusion of the Saudi-funded LIV Tour into the near-cloistered existence of the venerable PGA, which responded by banning players from its events and joining the chorus condemning the Saudi project as an attempt to “cleanse the country’s record” on human rights. The same accusations were leveled against Qatar during the World Cup, but for FIFA, soccer’s governing body, Qatar’s involvement did not represent an existential crisis. For the Professional Golfers’ Association, LIV’s success would mean compensatory harm to the PGA’s pre-eminence.