Nothing travels faster in YouTube golf than a rules argument, and the Internet Invitational keeps proving it. Last year, Luke Kwon overslept his tee time and faced a wave of online backlash. This year, a ball that may or may not have moved in a fairway at Buffalo Ridge has produced a new lightning rod, and he has no interest in staying quiet.

Sam Heung Min, a New Zealand pro turned content creator, posted a video after the finale aimed at the critics who have pursued him since Episode 4. Late in the clip, he says: “I also haven’t responded to one hate DM because what’s the point? They’re gonna change the energy anyways, just like you know who. And you know who I’m talking about with all these podcast Muppets. You know who they are.” 

He never names them, and most of his anger appears aimed at Barstool’s Spittin’ Chiclets podcast team, who weren’t fans of him playing rules official.

Has this happened before? Sam himself nods to Kwon’s saga, saying “Kwon’s sleeping in story has passed.” Golf has also seen ball-moved rows. Dustin Johnson won the 2016 U.S. Open despite a one-stroke penalty for his ball moving on the fifth green, and Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods defended him on social media. The difference here is that the criticism landed on the golfer who made the call.

Inside the Ruling That Started the Row

The Internet Invitational is a tournament for social media golf personalities run by Barstool Sports and Bob Does Sports, and this is its second edition, played in August 2026. In Episode 4, Team Ruffels beat Team Bryan 12.5-6.5. On the 13th, Sam said Big John’s ball moved as he set up for an approach shot. Big John won the match 3 and 2, meaning he was three holes ahead with two left to play. He accepted a penalty despite being unsure the ball had moved.

Big John runs the Big John Golfs YouTube channel, and he has emerged as a star of this event, which helps explain the heat Sam has absorbed. Sam is one of YouTube golf’s more likable personalities, but he has come across as an antagonist this year.

Here is why the call is contentious. Under Rule 9.4, a player gets a one-stroke penalty for causing a ball at rest to move, but only when it is known or virtually certain they did. The R&A describes that as at least 95 percent likely. The video evidence was limited, and the best footage doesn’t seem to show anything. Wesley Bryan, Sam’s playing partner, raised the question on his behalf, though Sam still thanks Bryan in the rant. Later, Sam called a similar penalty on himself.

On the podcast, Ryan Whitney said: “I think it’s one of the softest things I’ve ever seen in my life.” Sam’s answer is that the tournament, not him, was inconsistent. He was also a couple of minutes late for a tee time, which opponents made a big issue of, and he says he wasn’t being disrespectful.

Dan “Big Cat” Katz, who worked as a rules official at the event, said he hoped critics of Barstool would return next year and promised to be unbiased in rulings. That falls short of an invitation to Sam. He probably won’t be invited back, though Barstool president Dave Portnoy loves controversy. Reports differ on whether Portnoy has responded, and no official word on Sam’s status has been reported.

Why Rules Rows Keep Defining YouTube Golf

The NCGA counted three main rules controversies across the six episodes of the 2025 event, starting with Kwon’s missed tee time. That episode reportedly drew more than 12 million views.

This could signal that rules drama is part of the product. When creators play for serious money under shifting rules, every gray area becomes content, and the person who makes the call risks becoming the villain.

Sam’s rant won’t settle whether the ball moved, and the footage so far doesn’t either. What it shows is how fast a single call at a creator event can define a golfer’s online reputation, as Kwon learned a year ago. Sam is leaning into it. In a separate post, his formal statement was two words: “Ball moved.”