'Full Swing' Creator Breaks Down His Favorite Scene from Season 2 | Golf Digest

the day that we shot Zach's Captain's picks was  the most stressful day of the entire history of   this show everybody's teed up we feel like we've  got all the the you know cameras and the crews   and the positions that we need to but now it's  like it's all going to happen it's going to be   bang bang and you know the idea that we'd built  up this entire season of the show to like pay   off at this moment I do not have you this part of  this job and I think the scene that we're talking   about is something that no one's ever seen before  I'm Chad mum executive producer of full swing and   this is how we captured Zach Johnson's Ridder cup  picks from full swing season 2 we need you there   and we need you ready so I'm not I'm not concerned  about that I'm just I'm just stating facts um it's   time to get to work and we're going to bring  that we're going to bring that cup home buddy   we knew we wanted to do the riter cup in season 2  um felt like an obvious next step in escalation to   the series and and the drama for the characters  that we've been following from season 1 um but   this time we had to convince uh not just the PG  of America but the DP World Tour and writer cup   Europe and it took us over a year to kind of work  with them and figure out what that would look like   to bring it into the series and so for them to be  able to commit they really needed their captains   to say yes and so at the end of 2022 I flew out  to Sea Island uh to meet with Zach Johnson and   it was was one of those pivotal meetings in that  I've had several times in the course of this show   where it was a little bit to or die we showed  them a little bit of full swing season 1 which   hadn't come out yet and Zach loved the show and  we had a conversation I thought it was going to   be a long pitch where I had to talk him into why  he could trust us as soon as the episode ended he   looked over and said this is going to be super fun  I'm in and then we were kind of off and running to   have a group of guys collectively after the same  goal and to be able to piggyback off the momentum   we've been having the last couple years and to  hopefully start what could be a new Dynasty in   that tournament I think that's really our goal  we shot 900 hours of footage last year to cut   down into sort of sixish hours of television and  it's really hard to predict who's going to win   a major U but for the Ryder Cup it was it was  something we knew was going to be drama and so   it was important to us to to build it in almost  the anticipation to that event across the Arc   of the entire season so you know when you watch  the show you'll see Ryder Cup kind of comes up   almost in every episode as a as a key dramatic  beat for all the characters and and subjects of   the series and what we love about the writer cup  what made it great from a filmmaking perspective   is it's one of the few times we could ever predict  like with certainty that we were going to have a   dramatic moment at this time on this day and  that if we could nail the logistics we could   have our cameras there any player who gets onto a  rder cup team that's all they want to do is is do   it again and so for Justin who is so driven by  that kind of head-to-head competition and it's   been such a force for the for the American team  you know for him as he was you know frustrated   with his game as the year went on the Ridder cup  just started looming larger and larger and and was   he going to be able to qualify in his own or was  he going to need to be a captain's pick and was   he going to get it the first time I sat down with  Keegan Bradley at the beginning of the season and   we asked him what his goals for the season were it  was just about the rder cup it was like I want to   do everything I can to get back on that team but  he knows he's getting older and this might be his   last chance to play on a rder cup team so for him  every single thing every decision he made every   tournament he played was building up to how do I  how do I earn myself a slot on that team and and   you know if if it comes down to a captain picks  how do I put myself in the best position to get   picked one thing I'll say is being a writer Cup  captain is a tremendous honor but it is a lot of   work and having seen it up close it is a full-time  job where you know you've got a 50% chance of of   being a hero or being a villain so the fact  that they both agreed Zach and Luke to let   our cameras be there for pretty much everything  the entire season is is is unprecedented and   I think the scene that we're talking about  is something that no one's ever seen before [Music] so this is all taking place during the  FedEx Cup playoffs Zach has been scouting out   his players I believe after the BMW Championship  the qualifiers were locked so Zach knew who his   six Auto qualifiers were and we knew that he was  going to make the captain's picks after the Tour   Championship but we didn't know if it was going  to be Sunday which was August 27th or potentially   Monday or Tuesday so we flew a crew to Frisco  where Zach was uh as he was sorting through his   kind of last minute like trying to make the  call we who's it going to be there was a lot   of conversation about like having some veterans  around given you had guys like Windam Clark and   Brian Haron who were major winners for the first  time sort of on that team for the first time you   know Max hom had never played in the ryer cup  before and so I think they were waiting this   idea of experience and and sort of current form we  knew that Ricky Fowler was really on the bubble we   knew that Justin Thomas was on the bubble we knew  that Keegan Bradley was on the bubble we assume   that Jordan spe had probably done enough to to  get a captain's pick and given that he's kind of   the heart and soul of that team but we weren't  entirely sure we thought the first calls were   going to go out Sunday so we asked Jordan spe  if we could ride with him to the airport so we   get a camera crew in the car with Jordan with  this idea that he's going to get a phone call   from Zach on the 27th and they make it all the  way to the airport and there's no phone call   and so Jordan gets on his flight and leaves and  we're like well that was that was we we tried you   know and so we thought okay well at least maybe  that'll be tomorrow so he flies back to Dallas I   fly back to my office we've got a crew still in  fris with Zach which we know we're going to film   we're hoping that the next day he's going to make  his picks then uh we had a crew in Jupiter Florida   because we wanted to capture the Ricky call and  the Keegan call and we were trying to find where   Justin Thomas went back to because he shut us down  at the last minute because he was so nervous about   whether or not he was going to make it and JT is  the greatest like has leaned into this show as   much as anybody and and the fact that he was so  worried just shows you how much it means to him   and so we think maybe JT's back in Jupiter we  find out Sunday night that he's actually gone   to Nashville where he has a a second house so  last minute like you know I guess near 10:00   we put a producer on a flight to Nashville they  get there that night you know around midnight   and we just send her first thing in the morning  so this is now Monday morning we send her to his   neighborhood where we know he has a house and  we'd filmed there before and in the meantime   we had a we had our crew filming in Frisco and  we had a crew in Florida and Jupiter that had   to get from Keegan Bradley's house over to Ricky  Fowler's house which is like they're like 2 miles   away so how do we you know how do we be there for  the call and then get a rick get to Ricky's house   and get it set up and capture that moment it was  a wild amount of coordination I mean it was we had   we had three film crews in three different time  zones you know I'm out here in La it's 6:00 in   the morning as this is all going down I felt like  uh I was in like a war room or something because   you know we're sitting here in this conference and  looking at texts from everybody and everything's   firing back and forth and we're hopeful and  trying to get get it and it was just like this   this whole thing happened in about a 25-minute  period everybody's teed up we feel like we've   got all the the you know cameras and the crews  and the positions that we need to but now it's   like it's all going to happen it's going to be  bang bang and you know the idea that we built up   this entire season of the show to like pay off  at this moment I mean we had multiple episodes   kind of hinging on this happening and on our our  kind of Mantra filming this thing is if it's not   on camera it never happened a producer in fris  sends me a text sort of 607 in the morning and   and he sends me the list of the pcks and so we  see the list and Keegan's name's not on it and   it's it was heartbreaking for us cuz Keegan is  the greatest you know Dad and professional and   and obviously an incredible player and and  when we started the process of like adding   Keegan to the show he said listen if it comes  down to a captain's pick I want you there yes   or no and and a week before we had said you know  I talked to him the same thing he said listen we   think the picks are either going to be Sunday or  Monday we're going to have a crew in Jupiter like   is it okay if they come over and he said yes  or no bring them so Zach says okay I'm going   to start making the first calls so it his first  calls to Jordan spe we captur that conversation   I wish you could see what I'm looking at right  now I'm changing a dirty diaper currently well   I didn't even see that you called you want to  go get some points in Rome yeah man love to all   right buddy I need you calls Brooks tells him  you know like made the team congratul ations BK   what's going on I would love to invite you to  be a part of the 2023 Ridder Cup team perfect   I'm super pumped and honored man makes a few of  these calls and now he's got to make the Keegan call you've done great so far it'll be fine I do  not envy I do not envy this part of this job and   and it's you just could feel how much Zach how  hard that decision was for him and and Zach knew   the weight of that decision and also he's friends  with these guys and knows these guys and has been   their peer for a long time and that Dynamic shift  from being someone's peer to being their sort of   boss in the form of like being their captain and  making a decision that affects their legacy and   their career kind of without that's out of their  control it's totally unprecedented in pro golf so   here is Zach you know kind of making the decision  that potentially could affect Keegan for the rest   of his career might never make it back onto a  Ryder Cup team and and will for forever be known   as the guy who almost got the pick I'm talking  to our producer in Florida you know he's like   I'm pulling up to Keegan's house right now we're  like okay you got 5 minutes to get in there get a   call from the producer we have the wrong address  so somehow we had filmed with Keegan house before   but somehow it got misprinted on the call sheet  and so our producer at the wrong address so he's   like two houses down so I have to call Keegan to  ask to confirm what his address is so I call him   knowing this call is potentially 5 minutes away  from happening I call him he answers I say hey   buddy we got a crew here um can you just confirm  that this is your address and I was like is it   okay if we still come in I know you know you  know we were going to be around but is it okay   and he's like yeah come on in so you know we go  two houses down open the door we run in as soon   as we sit down he gets this devastating phone call  he hey buddy um thanks for being patient with me   uh there's no easy way to say this my friend um I  find it just best to go in a different direction   this year I just it's it's not it's nothing  you did or didn't do because you're amazing   um on and off the course I just feel like it's  best this year to go in a different direction I   would would love to take 30 guys and I cannot and  just know that I so grateful for you okay Zach I   I understand I um wishing you obviously good luck  and hope you guys go over there and win it thank   you KS I appreciate you buddy okay all right  thanks Jack thank you bud take care bye [Music] byebye my heart is beating so fast what are you guys doing nothing nothing honey  that a squeeze why you need it and I found out   from Keegan sort of after the fact that the fact  that I called him he thought that meant it was a   yes he he really didn't think that we were going  to come and film a no call so the fact that we   had said hey we got our cruise here and it was  5 minutes before the call he thought this was   us getting that heroic moment for him so it was  like doubly blindsiding to him and and he handles   it just like such an amazing professional and  you know seeing his wife there seeing his boys   just you know being it's their dad you know and  he's just had his art ripped out uh is is just   a real moment of just incredible professional  Stakes for somebody and and a real emotional   moment that is that is what you can't script and  something amazing about documentaries and then   we got to get to Ricky's house so our producer  you know could try you know says thank you to   Keegan and basically has to like run out like five  minutes later I mean can't stick around and you   know console anybody I mean we're gone producer  gets back in the car and and now it's like a race   against the clock can he make it to Ricky Fowler's  house in time for the uh for the Ricky call and so   we figured we got we had like sort of8 minutes  to get a producer from or shooter from uh from   kagan's house over to Ricky's house he's on the  in you know the highway he's like I'm two and a   half minutes out you know our producer in Frisco  is like he's done Sam Burns he's done Colin like   where are we are we going to make it in time and  all of a sudden get a text like made it to Ricky's   house Allison had open the door he runs right in  you know Ricky sitting on the back on his porch   kind of waiting for the phone call set the camera  down right as the phone starts ringing and and get   the real time call from from Zack for Ricky who  also wasn't quite sure if he was going to make   it is Zach hello Rick buddy would you honor  me in being a part of the 2023 USA Rider Cup   team uh yeah I think that's a pretty easy decision  obviously this was kind of my ultimate goal I knew   it was going to be a bit of a far reach but I'm  glad I was able to put my name in the Hat honored   to have you really am reck you deserve it thanks  so then the final call is JT and so you know we   know that it's JT but um but he doesn't know that  yet and nobody in the world other than Zach and   I guess us knew at the time and our producers  sitting there on his culdesac in Nashville just   saying like no sign of him like clearly there's  doesn't look like there's anybody in the house   we've got our crew his agents you know doesn't  know where he is he's not answering the phone   so we hear the phone call uh on Zach's side we  obviously film Zach making the call to to Justin   so I'm just going to cut straight to it buddy um  and then after it's over you know I tell our crew   look I you know just stand by for another hour  maybe he'll come out now that he knows that it was   a yes I text Justin tell him congratulations you  know told him that we were filming the Zach side   of it and you know he doesn't respond we thought  we might have not had an episode because so much   of that story line we were building to lead up  to that moment and it was it was frustrating I   mean I think we had texts back and forth like  God it's crushing like we wish we could have   had it you know like are we sunk like can we  still make this work and then uh about an hour   later I get a text from JT with a video that Jill  had taken and he said I think you'll like this I   would like to ask you to be a part of the 2023  R cut team yeah I I think I can make that work Zach that's amazing [ __ ] a man God it's that  stressful you did it to yourself you know I know   I did I know I did but I say all that JT we  need you there and we need you ready so I'm   not I'm not concerned about that I'm just I'm  just stating facts um it's time to get to work   and we're going to bring that we're going to  bring that cup home buddy absolutely man he   was too nervous to sit around the house so he  left you know snuck out the back way and went   on this long walk and uh and asked Jill to film  it he said I hope this works maybe you could use   it and it was like the greatest thing ever and  when we realized that we got it it was like it   was just relief for everybody because I think  if he felt confident that he was getting the   pick or had tipped his hand or someone you know he  found out he would have let our cameras in there   he would have wanted to see that but he was too  nervous he didn't think it was going to happen   and then about 4 hours later he sends me a picture  with him with a giant largemouth bass and that's   how he went fishing to celebrate uh and so you are  seeing for the first time ever an extremely real   extremely dramatic Moment Like captured in ver and  the scene almost plays out in about the amount of   time that it went down uh and so for us to kind of  hinge an entire season which we've been building   to on this 120-minute period yeah after it was  over I was like I just like I think I just sat   down on a couch just was like I can't believe  we got it and now you know let's go to Rome [Music]