Stick Season 1 Episode 5 recap: Santi wins the tournament

Stick season 1 episode 5 titled The Birdie machine premiered on 18 June, 2025 on Apple TV+ and portrays Santi Wheeler entering the critical qualifier and for the first time uses a new caddy, Zero, alongside Pryce Cahill's covert coaching signals. According to the Apple TV synopsis of the episode, Mitts continues to question this plan and doubts that the manipulative coaching techniques might one day backfire.

Episode 5 features Pryce teaching the basics of golf to Zero. During the qualifier, they successfully relay signals, and Santi wins the tournament while the team celebrates the victory. But this is not it, the gathering is interrupted by an emotional outburst by Mitts when someone breaks his photograph of his late wife. Read on to know the full recap of the episode.

Here is what happens in Stick season 1 episode 5

In Stick season 1, after Pryce's fake leg injury, he steps down as caddy while Zero agrees to take his place for the upcoming tournament. Pryce tries to teach Zero the basics of golf, but the conversation takes a funny turn when Zero calls it a "boring sport for rich men," suggesting Zero's outsider's perspective on the elite world of golf.

Their loud conversation irritates Mitts, who’s trying to sleep nearby, and snaps at them out of frustration. This further portrays how their team is dysfunctional and is learning to work together. Pryce wants Zero to be more than just a caddy. He wants him to emotionally connect with Santi and help him grow beyond his rigid mindset, who is obsessed with just winning.

The season 1 episode 5 also features the tournament, marking the beginning of high-stakes competition for Santi. On the other hand, Zero is going through a moral conflict. Her conversation with Elena reveals that Zero was once Christina Marie Duffy. She eventually decides to follow Santi's instincts rather than Pryce's signals.

Zero, Santi, and Elena spend some quiet downtime at a laundromat. Santi and Zero groove on a similar musical that builds their friendship. Santi keeps obsessing over winning and admits that he can't imagine a life without being at the top of the leaderboard. It's not just a game for him, but is deeply tied to his sense of identity and self-worth. While for Zero, it's implied doesn't make sense as it is too much pressure.

Elena makes some effort to understand Zero more deeply and makes her feel seen and heard. That is when she opens up that they were born Christina Marie Duffy. They didn't have a good relationship with their mother, who was also unsupportive, while surprisingly their father was accepting of their gender identity as a queer and political beliefs.

In turn, Elena shares a bit about herself: she used to be a business major before she had Santi. This adds layers to her character—she had ambitions and a life path that shifted when she became a mother.

Santi wins the tournament in Stick season 1 episode 5

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In episode 5 of Stick, the entire team celebrates in the RV after Santi wins the tournament. Amidst this, Mitts' and his late Wife's photo frame drops and shatters, which triggers an emotional outburst as he confronts Pryce. He accused him of using Santi for the dreams he saw for his son Jett, who is now no more. Their exchange turns physical and marks the emotional peak of the episode.

After the fight, Pryce admits he’s betting everything on Santi and asks for Mitts’s help, and the two friends share a heartfelt moment. Santi and Zero go camping under the stars, and in an intimate moment, they end up sharing a kiss, marking a new milestone in their bond.

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