Social media golf sensation Paige Spiranac found herself at the centre of a major cheating controversy during the high-stakes final of The Internet International tournament. The incident, which involved an alleged breach of golf's strict rules, overshadowed the $1 million event and left the influencer in tears.
The Million-Dollar Showdown
The $1 million tournament, hosted by Dave Portnoy's Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports, took place on November 14, 2025. It featured some of the nation's top golf influencers, including Paige Spiranac, who boasts an impressive four million followers on Instagram. Spiranac and her team, consisting of 'Big Mo' Malosi Togisala and Frankie Borelli, battled their way to the finale.
In the final round, the trio faced off against a formidable opposing team: former Masters qualifier Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis, and Cody 'Beef' Franke. The format was an intense three versus three, alternate shot 18-hole match for the massive prize pot.
The Controversial Incident Unfolds
The scandal erupted when Spiranac's teammate, Malosi Togisala, found his ball in a difficult position nestled in deep, thick fescue. Against the odds, Togisala hit an incredible approach shot that miraculously landed just off the green, stunning both opponents and viewers.
However, the moment of celebration was short-lived. Tournament host Dave Portnoy was heard questioning, 'Did Paige put that on a tee for you?' This initial query sparked a full-blown investigation into Spiranac's actions prior to the shot.
English professional golf YouTuber Peter Finch escalated the accusations, claiming to the opposing team that Spiranac had deliberately stomped around to flatten the grass in front of the ball. 'That lie in the rough there, it was s***,' Finch stated. 'Paige has gone ahead to the ball and literally pressed down all the long grass in front so he could hit it out. But there's no way he could have hit that shot without that.'
Emotional Fallout and Rule Breach
Despite winning the hole, the opposing team—Dalke, Ellis, and Franke—confronted Spiranac about the alleged cheating. The confrontation triggered an emotional response from the influencer, who burst into tears during the exchange.
Spiranac, who played collegiately for the San Diego State Aztecs and professionally on the Cactus Tour, insisted she 'didn't know you couldn't do that' and emotionally declared that she 'would never cheat.'
Unfortunately for Spiranac, her actions did indeed violate the official Rules of Golf. Specifically, she breached Rule 8.1, which dictates that players must play the course as they find it and play the ball as it lies. The rule explicitly prohibits altering the surface of the ground or moving natural objects, which included the flattening of grass she was accused of.
Under normal competitive circumstances, this breach would have resulted in a loss of hole in match play or a two-shot penalty in stroke play. Ultimately, Spiranac's team lost both the hole and the match, with Dalke, Ellis, and Franke clinching victory on the final hole to claim the $1 million prize.
Aftermath and Radio Silence
In the wake of the scandal, Frankie Borelli, Spiranac's teammate and co-host of Barstool Sports' 'Fore Play' podcast, addressed the accusations. 'I totally don't think that she was trying to do anything specifically to help us win. There's so many cameras out there. She's been at this for so long,' he commented during their latest episode.
Borelli acknowledged that 'the footage probably doesn't look the best' but maintained his belief that Spiranac wasn't intentionally trying to improve the lie.
Most notably, Spiranac herself has maintained complete radio silence since the scandal erupted. The influencer, known for her regular Instagram posts featuring racy snaps and skimpy outfits, has not posted on the platform for three weeks and has not publicly addressed the controversy.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion about the pressures facing social media influencers in professional sporting environments and the strict adherence to traditional golf rules required in high-stakes competitions.
