Missouri : When Paige Spiranac reached the finals of the Internet Invitational — a high-stakes, social-media-driven golf event — few could have imagined the storm that awaited her. But after allegations of “improving the lie” on the 9th hole sparked outrage online, the influencer revealed she’d received nearly 10,000 death threats.
The uproar began when footage from the match showed Spiranac brushing aside long grass near her teammate’s ball. Critics claimed the move violated golf rules. While her team eventually lost the match, Spiranac says the real damage struck afterward.
In a raw post on Instagram, she admitted:
> “The last week and a half is probably the worst hate I’ve ever received in the 10 years of me doing this. I’m talking tens of thousands of death threats, people telling me to kill myself… to the point of discussing a restraining order.”
Though shaken, Spiranac denied any intentional wrongdoing:
> “I would never intentionally cheat… I did not know this rule… I made a mistake.”
Her teammate also defended the move, saying they believed it was allowed — which further fuels the ongoing debate about fairness and clarity of rules in influencer-led competitions.
But beyond the sport, the incident highlights a troubling truth: in the age of social-media-fueled fame, public scrutiny can quickly spiral into personal harassment — with mental health often left behind.
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