Golf influencer Paige Spiranac quietly donated all of her day-two Barstool Sports Internet Invitational skins winnings — about $15,000 or $16,000 — to the Cody “Beef” Franke foundation after she was engulfed in a cheating scandal at the event finale, according to Barstool’s Francis Ellis.
During Tuesday’s instalment of the “Son Of A Boy Dad” podcast, Ellis explained that he was impressed by Spiranac — and decided to share her donation publicly after she had gotten “beaten up in the dark corridors of the internet” due to the cheating allegations.
“I found out through a little birdie that when we all got paid our skins money from the second day, which was 15 or 16 thousand each, Paige Spiranac donated all of her skins money to Beef’s family,” Ellis said.
Franke — a fellow golf influencer and host of Barstool’s “Fore Play” podcast — passed away from a sudden medical issue in October.
Ellis and Brad Dalke played in the inaugural Barstool Internet Invitational on Franke’s behalf and the trio took home the $1 million grand prize.
Rone, a co-host on the “Son Of A Boy” podcast, chimed in with a dig at Spiranac.
“No better way to quell a dirty conscious,” he said, referring to cheating drama.
That’s when Ellis defended Spiranac.
“She didn’t ask anyone to tell, she didn’t do that, she didn’t expect that to come out,” Ellis said. “… You had to tell the Barstool payroll person how to give their money, and she just told that person, ‘send it to Beef’s family.’
“… That’s a significant amount of money, and I’m impressed that she did that. Especially impressed that it would never have gotten out and if I had not found out and told it on her behalf.”
Spiranac was accused of cheating when she pushed down high grass in the rough on the 9th hole, allowing Malosi Togisala to have a cleaner shot at the ball.
She broke down in tears on camera as she explained that she didn’t touch the ball and it wasn’t her intention to cheat.
Although the matter was dropped on camera, Spiranac later said she received “tens of thousands of death threats” over it.