The Internet Invitational was supposed to be golf’s biggest influencer party. A $1 million prize was on the line. Cold beers filled the carts. Friends competed together at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. But for British YouTuber Peter Finch, the August 2025 festivities turned into something far more complicated: a friendship-testing moral dilemma that would haunt him for months.

Three months after the August 2025 tournament, Finch finally addressed the controversy. He appeared on The Rick Shiels Golf Show Podcast in mid-November 2025. The conversation revealed the impossible position he’d found himself in when he witnessed what he believed was cheating. And now, he’s defending his decision to speak up despite the emotional fallout that followed.

“Pressure and competition…they can make people do strange things.”

That’s how Finch explained Paige Spiranac‘s tearful breakdown after being confronted about a rules violation during the finals. He’s not claiming to be a “guardian of the game.” He admits he doesn’t even know all the rules of golf. But he knew this one mattered. A million dollars was on the line. He thought it was unfair if someone gained an advantage through a violation.

The incident unfolded during the final match on the ninth hole. Finch watched as Spiranac approached her teammate Malosi Togisala’s ball in the thick rough. The grass was pampas-style vegetation. It stood inches high with hundreds of strands blocking the path to the green. The situation looked grim for Togisala.

Then Spiranac did something that made Finch’s heart sink. She flattened the grass in front of the ball with her hands. She cleared a path toward the green.

“I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, don’t.’ And I was like, ‘Oh god, someone else look, someone else look.'”

The shot that followed seemed impossible without that assistance. What should have been a sideways hack became a makeable forward shot. Togisala executed brilliantly from the rough. However, others noticed the potential violation immediately. Dave Portnoy questioned the shot from his position. Fellow influencer Peter Finch raised similar concerns from the commentary booth.

Finch found himself in an agonizing position. He had witnessed a potential rules violation involving friends and content partners. He consulted with Fat Perez and Lacy to determine the best course of action.

“I have information. The problem is, first of all, I like everyone on that team. I felt a little bit ashamed… I was like, ‘Why me? Like, why have I just seen that?'”

The group developed a strategy. If Spiranac’s team lost the hole anyway, the rules infraction would become an isolated incident. Spiranac’s team did lose the hole. This gave Finch an out. He decided to quietly inform Brad Dalke from the opposing team to keep an eye on future rough situations.

However, the plan for quiet resolution failed. Francis Ellis confronted Spiranac on the green instead. Spiranac burst into tears over the allegations. She claimed ignorance of the rules. She insisted she hadn’t improved the lie or moved the ball.

“I wasn’t trying to cheat, like I would never do that.”

The incident violated Rule 8.1 of golf’s rulebook. This rule prohibits players from moving or bending natural objects to improve conditions affecting their stroke. The penalty in match play is a loss of a hole. Since Spiranac’s team had already lost that hole, no formal penalty was assessed.

Finch expressed relief that Spiranac’s team lost the hole. In his mind, the match could continue fairly. Just be aware. That was his hope. Instead, the confrontation escalated. Dalke later questioned Spiranac’s claim of rule ignorance. The aftermath turned messy for everyone involved.

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Influencer golf faces enforcement crisis as prize money reaches $1 million

The Internet Invitational created a unique challenge. Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports organized a 48-player alternate-shot tournament. It was filmed with content and serious competition simultaneously. Three influencers made the enforcement decision informally. No formal rules officials were present like in professional golf.

The irony ran deep. Earlier in the finals, Spiranac had questioned Ellis’s competitive golf credentials. She told him he’d never played competitive golf. Ellis fired back immediately. He said it was his side gig and they were both in the final.

That exchange happened before the cheating allegation surfaced. The tournament already had a contentious atmosphere. Luke Kwon had slept through his opening tee time. Portnoy imposed a four-hole penalty. Drama seemed inevitable from the start.

Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis, and Cody “Beef” Franke ultimately won the championship. They split the $1 million prize. Tragically, Franke passed away in October 2025 at age 31 from a sudden medical issue while attending a wedding in the Dominican Republic.

The podcast revelation demonstrates a critical challenge. As influencer golf tournaments grow in stakes and scale, friendship-based enforcement becomes problematic. The golf influencer community faces a crucial question: Can they maintain the casual atmosphere that makes their content popular while ensuring the competitive integrity that serious prize money demands?