Former professional golfer and socialmedia standout Paige Spiranac has taken a dramatic turn in public perception by making a private, generous contribution to the grieving family of fellow golfer Cody “Beef” Franke, whose sudden death stunned the online golf community.
The gesture, revealed this week, arrives just as Spiranac continues to deal with fallout from a cheating accusation during the headline event.
Gesture emerges amid chaos
According to podcast host Francis Ellis of Barstool Sports, Spiranac quietly directed her entire skinswinnings from day two of the Internet Invitational, roughly $15,000 to $16,000, to Franke‘s family.
“I found out through a little birdie that when we all got paid our skins money from the second day, which was 15 or 16 thousand each, Paige Spiranac donated all of her skins money to Beef‘s family,” Ellis said.
Spiranac did not make any public announcement, instructing only the Barstool payroll office to transfer the funds. Ellis added: “She didn’t ask anyone to tell, she didn’t do that, she didn’t expect that to come out.”
Given how much backlash Spiranac faced, including accusations of cheating, widespread trolling, and even death threats, the donation has been interpreted by many as a quiet act of respect in memory of a colleague.
Recalling the tournament drama
The controversy stems from a moment during the final round of the Internet Invitational when Spiranac appeared to push down tall grass near the ball of her playing partner, Malosi Togisala, on the 9th hole.
That action triggered immediate accusations that she had “improved” the lie, a potential rules infraction under golf regulations.
Spiranac later addressed the uproar on social media, saying she was simply trying to help identify the ball in rough grass and that she didn’t touch the ball itself.
She insisted she had no intention to cheat: “I would never intentionally cheat… to blatantly cheat with that many people around, that many cameras around would be insane.”
Even after initially defending herself, Spiranac reportedly endured “tens of thousands of death threats” over the incident.
The impact of Spiranac‘s donation
Coming from Ellis, a figure who has had public clashes with Spiranac in the past, the revelation adds weight.
As Ellis put it: “That’s a significant amount of money, and I’m impressed that she did that… especially impressed that it would never have gotten out.”
More than just a financial contribution, the donation can be seen as a symbolic gesture, one that recognizes the impact Franke had in the golfing community and tangibly honors his memory.
Though the tournament did not end in Spiranac‘s favor, her decision to give back, in silence and without fanfare, complicates the narrative that emerged from the Internet Invitational.
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