Barstool’s Delay IGNITES Online Fury

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Golf influencer Paige Spiranac received tens of thousands of death threats after a minor rules infraction during a Barstool Sports tournament exposed the toxic harassment culture targeting conservative women in public roles.

Story Highlights

Spiranac tampered with grass during August tournament but team lost anyway, receiving no prize money
Barstool Sports delayed YouTube release until November, amplifying public backlash beyond proportion
Influencer received tens of thousands of death threats and suicide encouragement messages
Incident highlights disproportionate online harassment targeting women in sports and entertainment

Tournament Rules Violation Sparks Controversy

Paige Spiranac pressed down fescue grass to improve her teammate’s ball position during the ninth hole of Barstool Sports’ Internet Invitational championship match in August 2025. The tournament featured 48 golf content creators competing for a $1 million prize at Cedar Lodge Resort in Missouri. Despite the apparent rules violation being captured on camera with Dave Portnoy serving as rules official, no penalty was assessed since Spiranac’s team lost the hole regardless.

The incident occurred during a high-stakes entertainment format that blended competitive golf with influencer culture. Peter Finch, another competitor, reported the infraction to tournament officials. Spiranac’s teammate Malosi Togisala also faced allegations of using prohibited rangefinder slope features, complicating the narrative surrounding rule compliance during the championship match.

Paige Spiranac left in tears after being accused of cheating in $1million influencer golf tournament https://t.co/KQNNRkaNR4

— Daily Mail Sport (@MailSport) November 21, 2025

Delayed Content Release Intensifies Public Backlash

Barstool Sports released the six-episode YouTube series documenting the tournament in November 2025, three months after filming concluded. This temporal disconnect between the incident and public revelation created an intense reaction that generated over 20 million views for the content. The delayed release allowed controversy to build without immediate context or resolution from the participants involved.

The tournament operated under specific Barstool Sports rules, with rangefinders permitted but slope usage prohibited. Spiranac stated she was unaware of the specific grass-tampering rule, emphasizing that deliberately cheating with extensive camera coverage would be “insane.” Her team ultimately lost the championship match on the 18th hole, receiving no prize money despite the earlier rule violation.

Disproportionate Harassment Campaign Targets Female Influencer

Spiranac revealed receiving “tens of thousands of death threats” and messages encouraging suicide following the YouTube series release. The harassment forced her to withdraw from social media platforms where she maintains over 10 million combined followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X. She described the backlash as “the worst hate I’ve ever received in the 10 years of me doing this.”

The influencer emphasized her decade-long career without previous cheating accusations, stating “I would never intentionally cheat” and expressing painful embarrassment about not knowing the rule. She required family support and considered obtaining a restraining order due to harassment severity. This represents a troubling pattern where women in public-facing roles experience disproportionate online attacks compared to similar incidents involving male participants.