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With Golf’s Sensational Netflix Series Fast-Approaching, Meet the LIV Defector Who Sparked the Idea Behind It

Published 01/18/2023, 2:00 PM EST

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Documentaries, TV series, and movies serve as great pastimes in the present day and age. For golf fans, one documentary, in particular, has recently caught their eye: Full Swing. The documentary follows the lives of many of golf’s favorites, like Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy. While the golf world eagerly awaits the series that releases next month, many fans wonder who ignited the spark behind it all.

Although the highly anticipated show follows the lives of a variety of golfers, its main inspiration came from an unexpected ending. A LIV Golf defector served as a spark that ignited the flame of the show.

The hidden face behind the fast-approaching Netflix golf show

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As per a recent article in GQ, the entire concept began with the dream of two producers. Paul Martin and Chad Mumm traveled to the Bahamas for a golf tournament late in 2021 to meet golf defector Brooks Koepka. The two producers had in their heads the concept of bringing out the excitement in the calming sport of golf.

USA Today via Reuters

Martin and James Gay-Rees run Box to Box, a famous production company. Box to Box’s ever-growing fame only increased with their superhit Netflix series, “Drive to Survive,” which follows the world of Formula 1 racing. The producers wanted to bring the same level of excitement from the Formula One series to professional golf, which was still seen by many as a game for older people.

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Despite the challenge, Koepka serves as the perfect base for their project. With his sudden burst in the golf world, the pro golfer had won four majors in less than two years. Following that, his career seemed to slow down drastically due to injuries. His past and injuries were not something Koepka was keen on talking about.

Brooks Koepka gradually opens up to the producers

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Although it took a while for the 4-time major winner to open up, he eventually did. In the Bahamas, he went on to reveal his emotional trauma. “He started to talk about this vulnerability – where he really was, and how he was waking up in the middle of the night,” said Martin. Within those little emotional glimpses, the producers knew they had struck gold with their choice of golfer.

USA Today via Reuters

The producers felt like they had seen a side of Koepka that the fans had never witnessed. They believed that this side of the pro golfer would intrigue the fans. With the show covering Koepka’s emotional side and a peek into a dozen other golfers’ lives, they expect nothing less of a response than they did from Drive to Survive.

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Watch This Story – Golf World Disagrees With Phil Mickelson Over Latest LIV Golf Comments

How do you think the show will fare? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Sheldon Pereira

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One take at a time

Sheldon is a golf writer at EssentiallySports. He is a Business graduate from Christ University, with a degree in Finance and Accounting. He also has an experience as a Senior Audit Associate at an MNC, but his love for writing made him follow his dream and switch careers.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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