It seems a Dave Portnoy event is never complete without some kind of drama.
The final round of the $1 million Internet Invitational didn’t disappoint, featuring two notable cheating allegations that became central to the event’s coverage.
This climax was a 3-on-3 match, with players Brad Dalke, Francis Ellis, and Cody “Beef” Franke facing off against Paige Spiranac, Frankie Borrelli, and Marosi “Mo” Togisara.
In a contentious moment, Spiranac was accused of flattening the thick grass on the ninth hole to give Togisara a better lie, potentially setting him up for a successful shot.
What’s crucial here is that many of the 42 eliminated players were closely watching the match.
One of those watching was Peter Finch, who spotted what happened and shared it with others, quickly igniting a buzz that reached Spiranac. Despite having played exceptionally well during the tournament, she found herself in hot water.
“I thought you could do it,” Spiranac said through tears, clearly upset over the allegations. “I didn’t know I couldn’t do that. I didn’t think I was in the wrong and wasn’t trying to cheat. I just want people to know I’m not that kind of person.”
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, more drama brewed around Togisara as rumors began circulating that he might have used the slope function on his rangefinder.
This function adjusts the distance based on elevation changes, which is… well, not allowed. Initially, Portnoy had positioned himself as the rules official but later determined that using this function would be against the rules.
Togisara denied using it during the tournament, but video evidence seemingly showed him adjusting his rangefinder just before Portnoy and his team attempted to investigate.
After some back-and-forth, Portnoy did confront Togisara about the situation.
“I swear, I wasn’t using the slope function,” Togisara insisted.
Yet, many other golfers in the community seemed skeptical. The video footage was brief, and Togisara hasn’t posted anything on social media regarding the incident since it aired.
As the match progressed, it eventually led to the 18th hole, where the team of Darque, Elise, and Franke emerged victorious, buoyed by a tense moment when Borrelli’s chip met an unfortunate end in the water.
The event concluded on an emotional note, with a heartfelt tribute to Franke, who tragically passed away last month at just 31, as competitors gathered to honor him.
