19th Hole

'Full Swing' viewer picks up on incredible Easter egg from infamous Ian Poulter locker room outburst

February 23, 2023

However you feel about the new Netflix show "Full Swing," one thing is clear: it's done well since its release. It's still in Netflix's "Top 10 TV Shows in the U.S. Today" category as we speak, reaching as high as No. 2 in that ranking last week. It's generating conversation, particularly on social media. Young people are watching it, women are watching it, people who would never otherwise watch golf are watching it. If the goal was to bring the game to a new audience, the show has achieved that.

This is confirmed by the fact that viewers are finding little Easter eggs in episodes upon rewatch, or first watch. I thought Easter eggs were reserved for shows like "True Detective" or "Game of Thrones," where a single Easter egg can turn into a Bible-length Reddit discussion. For someone to have found a little egg in "Full Swing" means it has officially gone mainstream. 

The egg in question comes in Episode 3, otherwise known as the Ian Poulter episode. Many viewers probably went into that episode prepared to hate the Englishman, but it actually showed him in a new light. Except, of course, for his infamous locker room outburst at the WGC-Match Play, which featured him aggressively throwing multiple clubs into the ground after losing to Matt Fitzpatrick. One thing most of us didn't notice, though, was a handle of Tito's vodka in Poults' locker. Nice catch here by thegolfersgirlfriend on TikTok:

Potential unpopular opinion incoming ... this makes me kind of like Poulter more? Despite having made nearly $30 million in on-course earnings and who knows how much more off the course, Poulter is still sneaking vodka into the locker room for a post-round drink (we assume) like he's a sophomore in high school and his parents are away for the weekend. Why bother going to the 19th hole bar where the same vodka pour will almost certainly cost $15 or more when you can literally bring the 19th hole to your locker? Chess, not checkers, folks. 

By the way, there's a decent chance this was a gift for the players, or a gift from another player. But the bring-your-own narrative is just way more fun.