HONOLULU (AP) — The popularity of Formula One in North America soared thanks to the Netflix series “Drive to Survive.”
Now, the streaming platform will expand with a golf documentary series, with the PGA tour and the organizers of the four majors providing behind-the-scenes access. Among those who have joined to participate in the production (without receiving payment in return) stand out champions such as Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa. Also on the list are Max Homa and Joel Dahmen, who like to show off their personalities on social media.
For golfers it is an opportunity to increase their exposure and grow their brands. Koepka is said to have spent an hour with the producers during the Hero World Challenge.
Rick Anderson, the PGA Tour‘s media manager, said the Netflix series will allow golf to reach a different audience and a diverse audience and “will give fans an authentic look at the real lives of our players, and what it’s like to win and lose during a PGA tour season.”
Golf will, however, have competition in Netflix sports documentaries.
Tennis will also get a Netflix series in association with the ATP men’s tour and WTA women’s tour, as well as all four Grand Slam tournaments, starting with the Australian Open this week. This will surely include the saga of Novak Djokovic, who did not get vaccinated against COVID-19 and received an exception to enter Australia, but was eventually deported by Australian authorities who annulled his visa.
What makes the tennis series different from the golf series is that it will feature men and women playing at Grand Slam events in the same cities.
Missing from the PGA roster are Jon Rahm, currently the world number one, FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy. Also missing is Bryson DeChambeau, who said last week, while promoting the Saudi International tournament, that the series “wasn’t a deal that sounded great to me.”
DeChambeau said that people already know a lot about his life through his YouTube channel and Instagram. But he added that it will be nice to watch the Netflix golf series and have interesting stories about lesser-known players like Harry Higgs being told.
“I don’t want to take attention away from them, from their potential growth, in a way that is unique to them, when they are already so far behind,” he said. “They have the opportunity to grow much more than me in that sense.”
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