It began when Paige Spiranac, off-camera, at Internet Invitational, said, “Nadeshot is not very good at golf.” It got picked up, and Spiranac realised her mistake. As a result, she apologized to Nadeshot, saying, “I’m sorry! To be fair, my only first-hand experience watching you play was years ago, and you have improved so much since! Please forgive me.” The fellow creator buried the hatchet, seemingly not minding it at all.

“I shoulda have been walking around the Rocket Mortgage with a helmet on. Spectators were clapping just for teeing up the ball straight. At one point, I thought Rickie Fowler was gonna sign a ball for me and call me an inspiration. No apology necessary,” Nadeshot hysterically replied. The creators let the entire thing go, but one golf community member on the internet was not happy about Spiranac’s remarks.

Spiranac, sharing behind-the-scenes moments from Episode 2 of Barstool’s Internet Invitational, talked about Jon Gruden’s “special” speech that carried across the clubhouse. She mentioned the unbearable 100-degree heat with 90 percent humidity. And she praised how hilarious PFT and Nadeshot were as teammates. It was a cheerful recap, meant to celebrate the day, but one user replied with a sharp question about her behavior towards Nadeshot.

“And what was your excuse for being a jacka** to him?” they wrote.

Paige didn’t ignore it. She responded immediately, saying, “I literally wasn’t. I made one comment and then apologized on the green. It’s on camera. Then kept complimenting his shots.”

That should have been the end of it, but X thrives on debate.

“I saw it. And was glad to see the apology. But still don’t understand why you went personal unless he provoked you off camera. I have no skin in the game. Just saw what I saw,” the person wrote.

“It’s a competition where we are making content. Everyone was trash-talking. I assumed that would be the vibe since Whitney is known for his banter and Jake got popular off his back off challenges where he roasts people. Whitney made a comment to Roger, so I played back, and they were focused on the competition so I dropped it. I made one comment and immediately joked about it on the green about how I shouldn’t have made fun of his pre-shot routine. Didn’t make a comment before that or after,” replied the influencer, clearing the air once and for all.

Replies flooded in, dissecting intent and tone. Some followers defended her quick apology, saying it showed accountability. Others criticized her for “crossing a line.” The conversation drifted far from golf and straight into the culture of outrage that now surrounds every word spoken online.

Inside the Internet Invitational’s banter culture

What’s lost in the noise is the nature of the Internet Invitational itself. The event blends sports with entertainment, featuring 48 players split between creators and former athletes for a $1.7 million prize pool. It’s loud, funny, and intentionally chaotic. Jon Gruden fired up players with a locker-room-style speech. Teams traded banter all day. This wasn’t Augusta. It was golf’s version of a reality show, built for viral moments.

Paige, more than most, understands that environment. She resides at the intersection of golf and entertainment, where humor drives engagement. Yet, the reaction to her light-hearted exchange shows how easily that line gets blurred — especially when fans choose outrage over understanding.

Still, she stayed composed. Her posts didn’t spiral into defensiveness or shade. She clarified, moved on, and left the rest to interpretation.

Perhaps the real story isn’t about a jab that landed incorrectly. Maybe it’s about how fast audiences turn every interaction into a headline. As golf moves deeper into the content era, fans might need to remember that not all competition is serious — and not every joke deserves a storm.

Sometimes, it’s just banter. And that’s all it ever was.