The Internet Invitational was a huge success for every golf fan who prefers watching YouTube golf. The event was created by Dave Portnoy and his team from Barstool Sports. They collaborated with Robby Berger from Bob Does Sports to host the event for a $1 million purse. That drew a huge list of YouTube golfers to join the event, making it a big success. After celebrating the event being a huge hit, Portnoy dropped another huge bomb on his team for his next big plan.

As shared by NUCLR GOLF, “🚨🌐💰JUST IN: Dave Portnoy says Caitlin Clark and Kai Trump have said yes to participating in next year’s Internet Invitational. There’s word the prize pool could potentially hit $10 Million 😲.”

Yes, you read that right! Caitlin Clark and Kai Trump have agreed to participate in the Internet Invitational 2026. They will join Portnay himself, Grant Horvat, Paige Spiranac, & other golf content creators for the event. As the Barstool Sports host confirmed in the attached podcast clip, nothing is confirmed yet. However, the two popular figures have stated their desire to participate in the event next year. He will confirm their participation in the field as they get closer to the actual event.

As Portnoy said, “I’ve invited two people so far. They’ve both said yes. I don’t know how serious the yeses are. Caitlin said yes. Kai Trump said yes. Those are my two that I’ve asked. Whether push comes to shove and those two are available and do it, who knows.”

Even Dave himself is unsure if both of them will surely join the field in the end. However, he did also talk about speaking with sponsors as well to increase the purse. As he mentioned, it shouldn’t be difficult for them to negotiate with brands now that they have proven themselves after the first event. And they are looking to grow each and every year, so getting a sponsor would certainly be a good idea.

But will it be a good idea for Kai Trump to collaborate with golf content creators and participate in the Internet Invitational 2026? Let’s analyze the situation.

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Should Kai Trump join the 2026 Internet Invitational?

The 2025 Internet Invitational, as successful as it was, also had its fair share of controversies. One of the biggest ones was the cheating allegations Paige Spiranac was accused of during the event. The golf diva faced backlash after she changed the lie of the ball after it was positioned on an unplayable spot. While she’s no stranger to criticism, the allegations brought her tears as the netizens lashed out at her for trying to take advantage of the situation.

Kai Trump has been in a similar situation recently. After her recent appearance in The Annika driven by Gainbridge through exemption, she too faced a lot of criticism. She managed to score 18-over par in 36 holes and crashed out of the competition in last position. That made everyone question her eligibility to receive exemptions. Now, if she chooses to move back to YouTube golf, then it would prove that she is not taking her career seriously.

Those fans who had already criticized Kai Trump for being undeserving of an exemption in an LPGA Tour event will only have more fuel to add to the situation. Then again, she will also have to decide if she seriously wants to pursue a career in professional golf or continue being a content creator in the sport.