After receiving death threats and nearly taking legal action, Paige Spiranac is back online addressing the Internet Invitational controversy that refuses to die. This time, she didn’t come online to defend allegations or proclaim her innocence. Instead, she admitted something that might be even more damaging—or surprisingly relatable, depending on where you stand. She doesn’t fully understand the rules she allegedly broke at the $1 million Internet Invitational.

On November 26, the golf influencer picked one comment out of the flood of comments. A fan asked a straightforward question: “Is there a difference in moving grass compared to moving a tree branch for a better stance?”

Her answer revealed something bigger than just one rules violation. It exposed the murky, confusing world of USGA regulations that even experienced golfers struggle to navigate. Spiranac responded directly in her Instagram Story. And her response was sharp and critical.

“It’s interesting that you say this, because I have seen pros shimmy themselves back into a tree, and they’ll move a branch to the side just where their body is. And I think that’s fine as long as you don’t break a branch.”

She thought the same logic applied to grass. That assumption cost her dearly in the court of public opinion.

“But I thought that was the same with the grass. And I’ve also seen pros do what I did. So I was just really confused,” she confessed.

The confusion stems from a nine-year gap in her competitive golf career. Spiranac last played regular professional tournaments in 2016 on the Cactus Tour and at the LET Scottish Open. She retired in December 2016 after failing to earn her LPGA card. Between then and the August 2025 Internet Invitational, she only competed in creator-style events. The Aug 2024 and May 2025 Creator Classics preceded her return to serious competition at the $1 million Internet Invitational.

“And I just haven’t played competitive golf. I know competitive golf in such a long time that I can’t 100% say for certain what some of the rules are.” Confusing, but that’s what she said.

She pledged to read the USGA rulebook and consult with officials. Then she added something that hit home for many of the viewers.

“So I need to read the USGA rulebook. I need to talk to the USGA, because some of the rules of golf can be very confusing. And a lot of people have reached out to me and they’re like, I actually don’t know what the rules are. And I’m like, the same.”

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Why golf’s USGA rules confuse even professional players

Here’s where Spiranac’s defense gains traction. The USGA rulebook runs over 160 pages. The definitions section alone spans dozens of pages with formally capitalized terms and nested cross-references. The distinction between loose impediments and growing natural objects trips up even tour professionals. Loose impediments—like detached leaves, sticks, and loose grass—can be moved freely. But growing or attached grass? That’s part of the course and cannot be touched.

USGA education materials repeatedly stress this as one of the most common errors. Players wrongly think they can “create a fairway” by pressing grass down or breaking branches. Rule 8.1 forbids exactly that.

Dustin Johnson lost the 2010 PGA Championship after grounding his club in what he thought was a waste area. Tiger Woods received a two-stroke penalty in 2013 when cameras showed his ball had moved while removing a branch. Patrick Reed was penalized in 2019 for brushing sand away behind his ball.

Amidst these confusing rules, the entire episode of cheating allegations falls.

Paige Spiranac’s Internet Invitational cheating incident explained

The scandal erupted during the Internet Invitational finale at Payne’s Valley in August 2025. Spiranac teamed with Malosi Togisala and Frankie Borrelli in the final match for $1 million.

On the ninth hole, she pushed thick grass down around Togisala’s ball. Fellow competitor Peter Finch spotted it immediately. He later explained she “literally pressed down all the long [grass] in front so he could hit it out.”

The footage showed a clear violation of Rule 8.1. That rule prohibits moving, bending, or breaking any growing or attached natural object to improve conditions affecting the stroke. The penalty? Loss of a hole in match play. Dave Portnoy chose not to enforce the penalty because Spiranac’s team had already lost the hole. But the internet wasn’t so forgiving.

The episode aired publicly in late October 2025. Major coverage spiked between November 13-16. Spiranac faced an unprecedented wave of hate.

Spiranac’s admission that she doesn’t fully know the rules might seem damning. But it’s also brutally honest. Most amateur golfers don’t know them either. Even some professionals struggle with technical distinctions buried in 160 pages of rulebook language. And sometimes, even the pros get it wrong.