Through two seasons, Netflix’s “Full Swing” has been a hit. The show follows the storylines of PGA Tour pros as they navigate the highs and lows of pro golf — and those stories have resonated with fans.
Among the pros featured in the show is journeyman Joel Dahmen and and his caddie, Geno Bonnalie. And ever since the release of the show, the two have become fan favorites among the galleries at Tour events.
That newfound fame has come with challenges — as highlighted in season two of the show — but the positives has far outweighed the negatives. As Bonnalie explained on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar, Dahmen is often paired with big-name CEOs during pro-ams and fans are cheering his name week in and week out.
“It’s been awesome,” Bonnalie said. “And for him to stay like this — very level and humble — is pretty cool.”
Bonnalie has even gotten some love of his own from the galleries as fans shout his name as he schleps his man’s bag up and down the fairways each week.
“I definitely don’t feel like I deserve the autograph [seekers] and pictures and quote-unquote celebrity status, if you will,” Bonnalie said. “But it is kind of fun.”
As it turns out, Dahmen and Bonnalie’s inclusion in the show almost didn’t happen. In the lead up to the production of the first season, the duo worried how they would be portrayed on the show and almost pulled out.
“We didn’t really have control of how we would be portrayed,” Bonnalie said. “But then again, we talked about it and [we’re] like, ‘How else are they going to portray us? We might do dumb stuff, but it’s not bad stuff. We’re good people. We’re nice to one another and nice to fans and we’re respectful and have manners.’ And Joel not having an ego and or ever really being a d*ck — this can only come across as good.”
Lucky for fans of the show, the duo eventually came around — and became two of the biggest stars of the show.