Paige Spiranac, the former professional golfer turned influential social media personality, has long been a polarizing figure in the golf world. Known for blending athletic skill with glamorous content, she boasts millions of followers across platforms and has built a career promoting the sport in a modern, accessible way. However, in late 2025, Spiranac found herself at the center of a high-profile controversy during Barstool Sports’ inaugural Internet Invitational, a $1 million influencer golf tournament featuring YouTube creators and online personalities.
The incident occurred during the final match, an alternate-shot format pitting Spiranac’s team—paired with Good Good’s Malosi Togisala and Barstool’s Frankie Borrelli—against opponents including Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis, and the late Cody “Beef” Franke. On one hole, Spiranac was caught on camera appearing to press down tall grass around her teammate’s buried ball in the rough, seemingly to improve the lie before Togisala’s shot. Opponents and commentators quickly called it out as a rules violation, with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy notably questioning if she had “put that on a tee” for him.
Confronted on the course, Spiranac became emotional, breaking down in tears and insisting she was unaware of the rule. She later explained that she believed tall grass qualified as a loose impediment and was simply trying to locate or mark the ball without touching it. “I am painfully, painfully embarrassed that I did not know this rule,” she shared in an Instagram Story weeks later. “In all my years of playing golf, I have never been accused of cheating… To blatantly cheat with that many people around, that many cameras around, would be insane. So, I made a mistake. I learned now that it was a rules infraction, and I’ll never do it again.”
The controversy intensified with a separate allegation against Togisala for potentially using the slope function on his rangefinder (allowed for distance but not elevation adjustment in the event’s rules), dubbed “Slopegate.” Ultimately, Spiranac’s team lost on the 18th hole, with some viewers interpreting the defeat as “karma.”
The backlash was swift and severe. Spiranac described receiving “tens of thousands of death threats” and vile messages, calling it the “worst hate” she’d experienced in a decade online. The abuse was so intense that she stepped away from social media temporarily and even considered legal action, such as a restraining order.
In a positive turn, amid the ongoing fallout, Spiranac quietly donated her entire day-two skins winnings—approximately $15,000—to the family of Cody “Beef” Franke, who tragically passed away shortly after the tournament from a medical issue. The gesture, revealed by co-winner Francis Ellis on a podcast, was done anonymously without seeking recognition. Ellis praised it as a “significant” act of kindness, noting it would have remained private had he not shared it.
The episode highlighted the intense scrutiny faced by high-profile figures in creator-led events, where casual formats can clash with strict golf etiquette. Spiranac, a former Division I golfer at San Diego State who briefly turned pro, maintained her actions were an honest error rather than intentional deceit. As the dust settles, the controversy has underscored broader discussions about rules awareness in influencer golf while revealing Spiranac’s resilience—and compassion—in the face of adversity.
