Paige Spiranac says the Internet Invitational has unleashed a level of online abuse she’s never experienced — all stemming from a rules mistake that ignited a firestorm among viewers.
According to Fox News, the influencer-driven golf tournament, run by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports, featured 48 players from across the sports-content world.
Spiranac competed in the final group alongside Barstool’s Frankie Borrelli and Good Good Golf’s Malosi Togisala.
Their opponents were Good Good’s Brad Dalke, Cody “Beefe” Franke, and Barstool’s Francis Ellis, with a $1 million prize on the line.
The match came down to the 18th hole, where Spiranac’s team fell short. But the controversy that followed completely overshadowed the tournament itself.
During the final round, Spiranac was filmed improving a lie — something she said she believed was allowed. After being confronted, she insisted it was an honest misunderstanding and grew emotional as criticism mounted.
Togisala also faced accusations after viewers speculated he used the slope function on his rangefinder. While rangefinders were permitted, the slope feature was not.
The moment the championship footage hit YouTube, backlash erupted — and Spiranac said it quickly escalated to disturbing levels.
“The last week and a half is probably the worst hate I’ve ever received in the 10 years of me doing this,” she said on Instagram. “I’m talking tens of thousands of death threats, people telling me to kill myself. The most vile, horrendous stuff you could ever say to an individual… to the point where we were discussing me having to potentially get a restraining order.”
Spiranac has barely posted in the days since, explaining that she stepped away for her own well-being.
“I just needed to remove myself for my mental health,” she said. “One thing that I really struggle with is wanting to be liked and accepted… So it’s just hard for me as a person with how I process things.”
She repeated that she had never intentionally cheated and was mortified to learn she’d broken a rule.
“I am painfully, painfully embarrassed that I did not know this rule,” she said. “To blatantly cheat with that many people around, that many cameras around, would be insane.”
The tournament was filmed over the summer at Cedar Lodge Resort in Ridgedale, Missouri, with the final match at Payne’s Valley. Franke, one of the winning players, died earlier this month.
Spiranac competed as one of the few former professionals in the field, which also included Dalke and Wesley Bryan.
