Paige Spiranac walked away from the Barstool Sports Internet Invitational with more than a solid performance — she walked away determined to turn a difficult moment into something meaningful.
According to Fox News, fresh off a wave of online criticism, Spiranac quietly chose to donate her entire payout from the event, a sum estimated between $15,000 and $16,000.
The money went directly to the Cody “Beef” Franke foundation, according to Barstool’s Francis Ellis.
Franke, a host of Barstool’s “Fore Play” podcast, suffered a sudden medical issue in October and later passed away. The foundation was created in his honor to support his family.
Ellis revealed Spiranac’s gesture on Tuesday’s episode of the “Son of a Boy Dad” podcast, calling it a move made with no fanfare and no expectation of praise.
“I found out through a little birdie that when we all got paid our skins money from the second day, which was $15,000 or $16,000 each, Paige Spiranac donated all of her skins money to Beef’s family,” Ellis said.
The donation came as Spiranac found herself in the middle of a cheating controversy that unfolded during the final moments of the two-day event.
While approaching the ninth hole, Spiranac appeared on video to press down tall grass in the rough. The move seemed to open a cleaner shot path for fellow competitor Malosi Togisala, prompting accusations that she had created an improper advantage.
Spiranac grew emotional as she addressed the claims, insisting she never touched the ball and never intended to influence the play in any way.
She said the backlash quickly spiraled beyond criticism of her decision-making on the course.
Spiranac revealed that the online accusations triggered a disturbing wave of harassment, saying she received “tens of thousands of death threats” as the incident spread across social media.
Her decision to give away her winnings, made quietly in the aftermath, offered a stark contrast to the tone of the attacks — and served as a reminder of the human side of a sport increasingly shaped by viral moments and high-intensity scrutiny.
