No, the movie “Stick” is not based on a true story! 🙅♂️
But here’s why it feels so real – and the cool real parts mixed in:
⛳ 1. Price and Santee = Fictional, but inspired by real emotions
- Creator Jason Keller created Price and Santee. He wanted to explore “what if someone has immense talent but completely blows it?”
- Price’s breakdown (that viral YouTube moment!) and Santee’s father issues? Pure fiction. But Keller based their struggles on real player stories, like his father’s MLB career.
🎬 2. The benefits of real golf = increased authenticity!
- While Price isn’t real, Colin Morikawa, Max Holm, Keegan Bradley, and Windham Clark appear on the show as themselves! They film cameos at tournaments, which makes the golf scenes legitimate.
- The actors even got golf lessons! Owen Wilson trained so hard that he shocked his golf-loving brother with his skills. Peter Deger (Santi) also learned to swing like a pro.
💡 3. Why fiction works well
- Keller wanted a “feel-good, family-friendly story“, not a biopic. Golf is just the backdrop for themes like redemption and the Gen X vs. Gen Z conflict.
- Characters like Zero (Lily Kay), a gender-fluid bartender, let Keller explore the struggles of modern youth – something you can’t do with real golfers.
💎 In Brief:
“Stick is 100% made up — but it uses real golf culture to tell a story about second chances. Price is not based on Tiger Woods and Santee is not a young Rory McIlroy. They are original characters in a show that is more about treatment than birdies.”
