The sequel was much different than the original.
Joel Dahmen went from an anonymous PGA Tour pro to fan favorite thanks to the first season of “Full Swing,” where his comic stylings were on display as he and caddie Geno Bonnalie made for a feel-good story.
The second season shows the extra attention has its downside.
“Me being famous and having all the popularity and playing the worst golf of my career, it sucks,” Dahmen said early in the third episode.
Those close to Dahmen mention the 36-year-old’s past “trauma” as he deals with the stress of newfound fame and struggles on the course, while juggling the additional responsibilities of he and his wife Lona having their first child.
“Having a kid alone would be difficult, having your fame change is difficult, so to add all that together in a three-month span it’s probably not shocking that I didn’t play very good golf,” Dahmen said on the Netflix show.
The camaraderie between Dahmen and Bonnalie was one of the highlights of the first season, but their relationship appears to become strained as Bonnalie now laments Dahmen putting it in “cruise control.”
“There’s so many eyes on him and I am not sure if it was attention [he] was ready for, and/or wanted,” Bonnalie said.
The episode contrasts Dahmen’s resistance to seeing a sports psychologist — he had a negative experience with a grief counselor after his mom died — against the success Wyndham Clark has had by adding one to his team, helping Clark win the 2023 U.S. Open.
While it is heartbreaking to watch, it makes for intriguing television as Joel, Lona and Bonnalie are all incredibly honest about the difficulties.
“There are moments where I was like, ‘OK I don’t think you are doing well,” Lona said in an on-screen interview. “You are missing the cut. You are drinking in excess. Is this normal? Is this how you want to feel? Is this going to help or hinder your performance even more? You are off and now you are dragging everyone else down with you.’ That sounds harsh, but I am not afraid to say something to my husband because it’s our family.”
The documentary covers a slew of missed cuts and middling results, starting with the 2023 Players Championship.
The emotions come to a head during a heart to heart with Dahmen and Bonnalie on an airplane.
A teary Bonnalie threatens to quit if Dahmen doesn’t see a sports psychologist.
“When you’re golf famous it’s fun because you’re playing good,” Dahmen tells him. “Shooting 76 and missing the cut… [it’s] put me in the worst spot of my life. All I want to do is hang out with my kid.”
