Paige Spiranac arrived at the Internet Invitational expecting a week of light hearted competition, high stakes golf and the kind of social media chaos that fuels the sport’s new influencer era.
Instead, she left the final day in tears after a rules controversy exploded across the event, the internet and now the wider golf world. The six episode tournament, a Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports production with a one million dollar purse, brought together some of the biggest personalities in golf content.
Spiranac teamed with Frankie Borrelli and Malosi “Mo” Togisala in the finale against Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis and the late Cody “Beef” Franke.
But it was not the prize money or the level of play that dominated conversation. It was a moment on the ninth hole that sent shockwaves through the event and thrust Spiranac into an uncomfortable spotlight.
Footage from the match shows Spiranac appearing to press down a patch of tall rough around Togisala‘s ball, an action that could violate Rule 8.1 which prevents improving the conditions of a stroke.
Togisala‘s next shot, a clean strike out of what had been deep unruly grass, raised eyebrows immediately. Dalke‘s team won the hole regardless, but the concern did not disappear. Ellis approached Spiranac to ask about the move, and her emotional response stunned players and viewers.
Spiranac broke down in tears as she insisted she had not intended to cheat and believed her action was within the rules.
Considering her background, she played professionally before becoming one of the most followed golf influencers in the world, the moment raised questions among viewers who could not reconcile her experience with the misstep.
Pressure, scrutiny and a viral moment
The tears resurfaced a struggle Spiranac had shared just days earlier, when she posted a video describing waves of hate and online harassment she had been receiving throughout the Invitational.
She said the atmosphere had initially felt welcoming, a rare space where she fit in, but the negative attention began to reopen old insecurities. With millions of followers and a reputation built partly on being one of golf’s most recognizable online figures, she has long navigated scrutiny harsher than most of her influencer peers.
The cheating allegation only intensified that pressure. Influencers and fans quickly split into two camps, those who believed she knowingly improved the lie and those convinced she simply made a mistake in the heat of a competitive moment. But behind the scenes, the situation was even more complicated.
British YouTuber Peter Finch later revealed on his podcast that he witnessed the incident in real time. He described watching Spiranac flatten the pampas style grass around the ball and feeling immediate dread, knowing he had seen something players are not allowed to do.
But rather than raise it publicly, he and others agreed to stay quiet if Spiranac‘s team lost the hole, hoping to avoid unnecessary drama. That plan unraveled when Ellis confronted her on the green.
His account highlighted an emerging problem in influencer golf, events with massive prize money but no formal rules officials. Decisions are left to participants who are friends, content partners and in many cases competitors, a recipe for conflict when moments like this occur.
As Finch put it, he felt ashamed to be the one who saw it, knowing his honesty could cause a blow up within a community built on collaboration as much as competition.
The Internet Invitational delivered record engagement, memorable moments and a standout performance from champions Dalke, Ellis and the late Franke.
But Spiranac‘s emotional breakdown became its defining storyline, one that exposed how fragile the balance is between entertainment and integrity in influencer sports.
Whether she made an innocent mistake or a costly error in judgment, the reaction shows just how much weight a single rules question can carry in the world of viral golf. And for Spiranac, the fallout may linger far longer than the tournament highlights.
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