Saagar Kote
Apple TV+’s ‘Stick’ brings golf and relationships to the forefront with an unlikely friendship between a washed-up former golfer and a young prodigy with the talent to be the next champion. However, the complexities of their past and present present them with overwhelming obstacles. The previous episode ended with Clark Ross agreeing to give Santi Wheeler a sponsorship exception at the Ready Safe Invitational after being successfully hustled by Pryce, Zero, Santi, Mitts, and Elena. The team celebrates Santi’s new prospects, and Santi rekindles his intense relationship with Zero by kissing them on top of the RV. As the tournament approaches, the prodigy’s golfing career and Pryce’s redemption hang in the balance. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Subtle Art of Golfing Among the Greats of the Game
The episode opens with Sports Channel CGN covering the Ready Safe Invitational, with the commentators Trevor Immelman and Jim Nantz giving a special mention to Clark Ross for hosting the tournament at Woody Crest Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mitts, Santi, Pryce, Zero, and Elena enter the venue with a positive mindset. When Santi signs the entry register for the tournament, he meets Keegan Bradley, a popular golfer, and finds it difficult to accept that he has the privilege to be in the same space as him. Other golfers, namely Max Homa and Wyndham Clark, also make an appearance in the tournament.
Wyndham greets Pryce and talks about golfer Vijay Singh. Pryce introduces the great golfers to Santi, who is shocked that Pryce is well-respected and known by Wyndham and Max. An arrogant and hawkish golfer called Matt Prost introduces himself to Santi before play starts. As the start of the tournament approaches, Santi begins by playing a great shot. Pryce is mentioned by the TV commentators who praise his past record in the sport. Matt tries to get into Santi’s head by distracting him with comments on his age and inexperience. After the end of the first round, Clark Ross greets Santi and the team, including his former rival Pryce. He tells Pryce to let bygones be bygones and forget their past rivalry.
Clark says he wants to take Santi for some formalities with the sponsors, without Pryce and the rest of the team. He takes Santi to a super-rich golf accessories shop and asks two beautiful girls named Amy and Wendy to take measurements for his golf dress. Mitts and Pryce relax in the RV and talk about the dangers posed by Clark Ross, who Mitts thinks is untrustworthy. He tells Pryce that Clark is trying to poach Santi by giving him rich and luxurious experiences. However, Pryce isn’t worried, as he trusts Santi enough to make his own decisions. Clark then takes Santi to try out a sports car and then with him to an expensive restaurant to sweet-talk the prodigy into entering a deal with him, just as Mitts feared.
A Paoching Scheme by Clark Ross Puts Santi in Doubt
Santi figures out that the rich man is trying to poach him and asks him about his intentions. Clark asks the boy if Pryce is the best coach for his golf career, and proceeds to praise the talent of the youngster and tries to convince him that he needs a better team to shape his golf career, compared to Pryce, who is a shortcut guy willing to compromise on the level of golf play. Ross also mentions that he is far more successful than a man like Pryce and is better positioned to shape the talents of youngsters in the sport. Day Two of the tournament starts, and Amber-Linn surprises Pryce by turning up to watch the tournament.
When Pryce shows genuine happiness seeing Amber-Linn, she tells him that seeing him on the field makes her happy. The arrogant golfer Matt tries to get into Santi’s head again, but spots that Santi is wearing better clothes compared to the previous day. Due to Matt’s interference, Santi can’t strike very well. Pryce tries to help a nervous Santi get ahead of the game and asks him to think about the larger picture and play well to get a chance to continue participating in the next rounds of the golf invitational over the weekend. Pryce suggests a shortcut to Santi, advising him to hit the ball over the trees for a birdie, a strategy reminiscent of Clark’s earlier opinions on Pryce as a man who tries to avoid the conflict.
Despite some debate, Santi proceeds with the shot, which works in his favor. Pryce defends the concept of shortcuts, citing examples like the Panama Canal and the Chunnel between England and France. Santi, acknowledging Clark’s words, describes Pryce as “cosmic.” Pryce asks Santi to play the next down the 7th hole, which is seen as an insane move by the commentators. Santi hits two good shots and starts to find his rhythm in the game again. Santi’s talent quickly became a sensation on social media, captivating golf enthusiasts and the wider public alike.
The Complexities of Love Change the Dynamics of the Team
During a press conference, Santi attributes his calm demeanor to a song, “Cecelia” by Simon and Garfunkel. Amber-Linn joins the team and shares amusing anecdotes about Pryce and Mitts, including a joke about them embracing each other in the past like an old couple. Zero deduces Mitts’ feelings for Elena and encourages him to act on them, taking him by surprise and giving him hope that he will find love again. On the third day of the tournament, fangirls show their support for Santi by wearing “We Love You Santi” t-shirts. He performs exceptionally well, moving up to second place on the leaderboard, leading to widespread celebration by the team, joined by Amber-Linn.
Later, Mitts and Elena share a passionate kiss at the RV, visibly deepening their bond and feelings for each other. Amber-Linn and Pryce meet at a restaurant, where they reminisce about their past. Pryce admits that marrying him wasn’t the best thing for her and apologizes for not being there when Amber-Linn needed him. He mentions attending grief meetings in the past, struggling to accept his son’s death. Amber-Linn becomes emotional, asserting that Pryce was the best dad, and then kisses him. She invites Pryce to her room, but he hesitates.
Pryce tells her not to worry about him and leaves without entering the room, encouraging her to root for him, following which she departs for Indiana. The next morning, at the breakfast buffet, Mitts asks Pryce why Amber-Linn left, to which Pryce replies that he declined her advances because he wants to maintain focus and perform well in the tournament. In an unexpected twist at the end of the episode, Gary, Santi’s father, approaches Pryce, expressing his admiration for the golfing genius. He recalls seeing Pryce at the Bell South Classic in 2002, even claiming some of Pryce’s shots surpassed those of Tiger Woods. Upon seeing her ex-husband, Elena is visibly shocked, while Santi, overwhelmed with emotion, embraces his dad.
Read More: Is Stick Based on a True Story?
