Renowned golf personality Paige Spiranac has made a shocking revelation about receiving approximately 10,000 death threats following her participation in The Internet Invitational golf tournament. The popular influencer broke her silence after days of intense social media backlash and cheating allegations that emerged from the high-profile event.
The Controversial Moment That Sparked Outrage
The incident occurred during the final round of The Internet Invitational, hosted by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports. Spiranac, who boasts over four million Instagram followers, was competing alongside teammates "Big Mo" Malosi Togisala and Frankie Borelli in a high-stakes match with $1 million prize money on the line.
During the alternate shot format match against former Masters qualifier Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis, and the late Cody "Beef" Franke, a controversial moment involving Spiranac's ball in tall grass went viral. The opposing team accused her of violating golf rules by allegedly improving her lie through stomping near her ball. At the time, Spiranac responded to the accusation by stating, "I didn't know you couldn't do that."
Social Media Backlash and Disappearance
Following the event, Spiranac completely disappeared from social media platforms for several days as cheating allegations spread rapidly online. The golf influencer faced constant mockery and harassment across various social media channels before finally breaking her silence to address the situation.
When she returned to social media, Spiranac disclosed the alarming scale of abuse she had endured, including receiving approximately 10,000 death threats. The professional golfer, who has previously played both college and professional golf, firmly denied any intentional wrongdoing during the competition.
"I would never intentionally cheat. In all of my years playing golf, I have never been accused of cheating," Spiranac stated emphatically in her defense.
Teammate Support and Tournament Future
Spiranac received public support from her teammate Frankie Borelli, who defended her actions during the controversial match. Speaking on Barstool's "Fore Play" podcast, Borelli expressed his belief in Spiranac's innocence and questioned the validity of the cheating claims.
"I totally don't think that she was trying to do anything specifically to help us win. There are so many cameras out there. She's been at this for so long," Borelli stated during the podcast appearance.
He acknowledged that while people could form their own opinions about the incident, he firmly believed Spiranac had no malicious intent. "If you think that something that she had done crosses some sort of rule infraction, then like, I don't know, people are allowed to have their own opinion. Do I think that she was trying to improve the lie? No. I also think that the footage probably doesn't look the best," Borelli added.
Despite the controversy surrounding the event, The Internet Invitational is expected to return in 2026. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy has already hinted at major invites for the next edition, indicating the tournament will continue despite the recent controversy.
The winning team of Dalke, Ellis, and Franke, who has since tragically passed away, ultimately claimed the $1 million top prize after Spiranac's team lost the final match.
