Player Commitments, Timeline And Major Buy-In For PGA Tour's Netflix Entry
/Dylan Dethier of Golf.com had the most details on Wednesday’s news surrounding golf’s Drive To Success clone green lit by Netflix.
While it’ll get the PGA Tour headlines, production has barely begun. So as I noted in The Quadrilateral, there are several surprises, including the buy-in from the Five Families. Or that so many players committed and so much information is being shared with so little “in the can”.
Dethier said the first interviews just occurred and we probably can’t expect the docuseries for a year. And there was this on editorial control:
“We do not have editorial control,” a Tour spokesperson said. “We will be involved to the extent that Netflix and the producers have the access they need to film at our events. We want them to make a great show, and we all agree the documentary needs to be as authentic as possible.”
The enthusiasm of Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has been crucial in getting to this point. People familiar with the process were impressed with his open-mindedness and that he became a crucial voice in bringing the project to market.
“Everything that I’ve experienced so far is that the Tour is fully invested in making the realest possible reality,” said one source close to negotiations.
Open-mindedness=ok with F bombs as long as they’re on Netflix.
Again, it’s a long ways off…
While both Netflix and the Tour declined to comment on an official release date, filming will continue through the end of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, wrapping with the Tour Championship at the end of August. Following the model of Drive to Survive, the show’s first episodes will likely be released as hype builds for the following Tour season in early 2023. In other words, golf fans may not see any of this footage for another year. They’ll hope the show is worth waiting for.
Players committed to the project as Tweeted by the Tour:
