Rory McIlroy has found fame and fortune as one of the world’s finest pro golfers – he’s currently ranked number one in the world – and now he’s set to become a star on Netflix
McIlroy, a native of Holywood, Co Down, will play a major part in the new Netflix show on the PGA called "Full Swing," executive producer Chad Mumm has revealed.
That’s not surprising given how vocal McIlroy has been about the competing LIV Golf operation, Saudi-backed and fronted by former pro Greg Norman. "Full Swing" will capture a lot of those anti-LIV sentiments McIlroy hasn’t been shy about sharing.
"Full Swing," which follows several pro players on and off the course all unscripted, lands on Netflix on Wednesday, February 17.
At first, it didn’t seem that McIlroy would have a big part in the show – his focus was solely winning tournaments, his people told the series producers – but he eventually had a re-think.
"I sat down with him in the summer. We told him we needed his voice, there was no guarantee we could do this again and if he waits, people won't hear from him until 2024 at the earliest and now is the time, the golf world needs his voice. To Rory’s credit he was like ‘Yeah, I’m in,’” Mumm told the U.K. Mirror.
"An hour later he was wearing a microphone and walking around the locker room, having these private conversations that we were part of.
"He gave us more access in that period of time than we had got from anybody, it was incredible. He was always on our list, so give him a lot of credit for letting us in, because he certainly could have said no. From that moment on he was all in."
Given the PGA Tour’s massive popularity, "Full Swing" will likely be a full hit for Netflix.
*This column first appeared in the February 8 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.
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