Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has revealed she received ‘tens of thousands of death threats’ following accusations of cheating during the Barstool Sports Internet Invitational tournament. The incident occurred during the final match this summer, when Spiranac was filmed pressing down grass in front of her playing partner Malosi Togisala’s ball. Although her team lost the $1 million prize, she was accused of improving Togisala’s lie, a rule violation.
In a Q&A on her Instagram Story on Tuesday, Spiranac said she was ‘painfully embarrassed’ and insisted she did not realise patting the grass was against the rules. ‘I would never intentionally cheat,’ she said. ‘There were so many cameras on me. To blatantly cheat with that many people around would be insane.’ She added that she has never been accused of cheating in her ten-year career.
Spiranac described the backlash as the ‘worst hate’ she has ever received, including messages telling her to kill herself. She said the threats were so severe that she discussed obtaining a restraining order. She explained that she had not spoken earlier because she needed to step back for her mental health, noting that she struggles with wanting to be liked and accepted.
The tournament, overseen by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, featured 48 golf content creators and was filmed over the summer. The six-episode series was released on YouTube this month. Togisala also faced accusations of using the slope option on his rangefinder, which was prohibited. He denied the claim, stating he was not informed of the rule until after the first hole.
