The chaotic $1 million Internet Invitational, a high-stakes Barstool golf event, was defined by drama and controversy, with much of the commotion centering on golf influencer Paige Spiranac.
However, the champion of the event, Brad Dalke, has since offered a stern, focused perspective, suggesting that Spiranac’s emotional response to cheating accusations did not fully convince him.
The core of the controversy occurred after the ninth hole, where Spiranac was accused of improving her team’s lie by mowing down grass in front of the ball.
Dalke, who was focused on his own performance, stated that he was only informed of the alleged infraction by Peter Finch after the hole had concluded.
Speaking on the Good Good Podcast with Garret Clark, Dalke shrugged off the incident, asserting his priority was simply to win the tournament.
“I kind of just told myself, ‘I am not getting caught up in this,’ ” Dalke shared, emphasizing his role as the “A Player” of his team.
“If I start playing badly, it’s going to be a tough last eight holes. So, I kind of told myself, ‘I’m going to lock in. I don’t care about the drama.’ “
Despite his teammate Francis Ellis being in a widely publicized rivalry with Spiranac, Dalke initially advised against escalation.
However, the situation ultimately erupted when Ellis confronted Spiranac after a tie in the match, leading to her breaking down in tears.
Intent or a lack of experience?
Regarding Paige Spiranac‘s defense that she didn’t know she was violating Rule 8.1, Dalke expressed skepticism given her background in competitive golf.
“This is for a million dollars, and Paige’s played D1 golf. She played competitive golf,” Dalke told Clark, adding: “I would like to think she would know that you’re not allowed to do that, but I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t.”
Dalke‘s comments suggest a firm, results-oriented viewpoint that prioritized adherence to the rules in a high-stakes setting over accepting Spiranac’s emotional plea of ignorance.
The winner’s stance echoes similar comments made by fellow golfer Luke Kwon following his own separate controversy at the event.
The Internet Invitational continued its tumultuous run with a second drama on the 10th hole, where Melosi “Mo” Togisala was accused of using the forbidden slope function on his rangefinder.
Even then, with “20 people…gathered around the car” to review footage, Dalke’s focus remained firm. His team ultimately secured the $1 million prize after Frankie Borrelli’s final-hole mis-hit into the water.
In the aftermath, while Togisala defended himself to Dave Portnoy, and Spiranac defended herself against the ensuing torrent of online hate.
But Brad Dalke’s message remains the most direct: a competitive golfer should know the rules, and a player focused on winning cannot afford to get caught up in the surrounding noise.
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