Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has defied vile trolls by returning to a tournament where she previously received death threats. The former professional golfer turned influencer, who boasts four million Instagram followers, is back for the Internet Invitational hosted by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports.
Last year's controversy
In the 2025 edition, Spiranac and her team made it to the championship but lost on the 18th hole. However, suspicions arose after Spiranac was caught on camera flattening the grass in front of her teammate's lie in the rough. Many golfers pointed to Rule 8, which states that players must play the course as found and make no modifications.
Spiranac admitted her mistake but said it was unintentional. "I am painfully, painfully embarrassed that I did not know this rule," she said in an Instagram story. "I would never intentionally cheat. In all my years of playing golf, I have never been accused of cheating." She added that cheating with so many cameras around would be "insane."
Death threats and hiatus
After the tournament, Spiranac took a two-week break from social media due to the harassment. "The last week and a half is probably the worst hate I’ve ever received in the 10 years of me doing this," she said. "I’m talking tens of thousands of death threats, people telling me to kill myself. The most vile, horrendous stuff you could ever say to an individual." She even considered getting a restraining order.
Return to the tournament
Despite the backlash, Spiranac has returned for this year's event, which has quadrupled its prize pool from $1 million to $4 million. The tournament date and location have not yet been set, but it will again feature 48 competitors.
