Beef Franke

What happened to Beef Franke the golfer?

Beef Franke died suddenly in October 2025, nine months after he joined Barstool Sports as Fore Play’s golf pro. Fore Play announced his death on its X account on October 27, 2025, saying he died over the weekend after “a sudden medical issue,” per Today and Awful Announcing. Heavy and the Southern California Golf Association’s FORE Magazine give the date as October 25. Dave Portnoy wrote, “You will never find a nicer more genuine person than Beef,” per Today. He had already filmed the first Internet Invitational in August 2025, and his family asked that it air as planned, per Golf Digest on October 31, 2025.

Is Cody “Beef” Franke still alive? Did Beef Franke die?

No, Cody “Beef” Franke is not alive: he died on October 25, 2025, at age 31. His death was announced by Fore Play and confirmed by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on October 27, 2025, per FOX 32 Chicago and Sports Illustrated. As of November 2026, a foundation his family announced and the Internet Invitational trophy both carry his name.

Why did Beef Franke die? How did Cody “Beef” Franke die, and what was his cause of death?

As of November 2026, the only cause made public for Beef Franke’s death is the one Fore Play gave: “a sudden medical issue,” per Today. TMZ reported that he was in the Dominican Republic for a wedding at the time, per FOX 32 Chicago, and Dan “Big Cat” Katz said the same, calling it “really tragic,” per TMZ on November 14, 2025. We found no accepted outlet reporting a more specific cause or any earlier health problem, so we do not repeat guesses from forums or social media.

Was Beef Franke on Barstool? What did he do at Fore Play?

Yes, Beef Franke worked for Barstool Sports as the head golf professional on Fore Play, its golf podcast, from January 2025 until his death that October. His job was to be the in-house teacher: he posted tip videos and called himself a “common instructor for the common golfer,” per the PGA of America, which reported in March 2025 that his personal Instagram, @barstoolbeef_, grew from about 1,200 to 30,000 followers in under a month after Barstool announced him. Heavy described the series as his “Tip Tuesday” videos. When he died, Fore Play hosts Riggs and Frankie Borrelli, along with Ryan Whitney and Jeff D. Lowe, posted tributes, per Sports Illustrated, and former Fore Play host Dan Rapaport did too, per Awful Announcing.

Did Beef Franke win the Internet Invitational? What happened to his prize money?

Yes, Beef Franke won the first Internet Invitational with Brad Dalke and Francis Ellis, in a final released on YouTube on November 13, 2025, three weeks after his death. The 18-hole final against Paige Spiranac, Frankie Borrelli and Malosi Togisala was played for $1 million, or $333,333 per player, per Golf Digest. It ended on the 18th hole after Borrelli’s ball went into the water, per Forbes, and GOLF.com reported that Franke holed a putt from off the green to finish it and, asked how he felt, said “Overwhelmed.” Earlier in the series he said that with the money, “I think I’d pay off my parents’ house.” TMZ’s report on the win did not say what happened to his share. Francis Ellis said on his podcast that Paige Spiranac gave her skins winnings to Franke’s family, and Golf Digest reported that Roger Steele was also said to have given his to the foundation, per Golf Digest on December 2, 2025.

What is the Cody “Beef” Franke Trophy and the Cody “Beef” Franke Foundation?

The Cody “Beef” Franke Trophy has been the Internet Invitational’s prize since the 2026 edition, which opened on October 26, 2026 with his family on stage. His mother, brother and stepfather introduced the trophy, a Heart of the Course award for golf club employees who work behind the scenes, and a foundation for people pursuing careers in golf course management, per Golf Digest on October 27, 2026. Heavy reported that the family asked all 64 players to honor him with his signature two claps and a “woo,” and quoted his mother: “More than anything, Cody loved people.” The Cody “Beef” Franke Foundation for Golf, a 501(c)(3) set up in November 2025, funds golf education, scholarships and course staff. Ferris State University started a scholarship in his name for its PGA Golf Management program, per the PGA of America, and Desert Willow named its employee of the year award for him, per FORE Magazine. More on the event is on our Internet Invitational page.

How old was Beef Franke? What was his real name, and why was he called Beef?

Beef Franke was 31 when he died in October 2025, per Today and every national outlet that reported his death. We could not source a birthdate from Famous Birthdays or his own channels, so we do not list one. His real name was Cody Franke, as printed by the PGA of America, where he was a member. None of the sources we found explain where the nickname “Beef” came from.

Where was Beef Franke from? What was he like when he was young?

Beef Franke was from the Chicago area: the PGA of America called him a Chicago native, and his family’s foundation names Lake Villa, Illinois, north of Chicago. He started playing golf at about age three with his brother Craig, now also a PGA of America professional, and picked golf over football in high school because the seasons clashed in Illinois, per the PGA of America. As an intern in 2015 he interviewed at Desert Willow, whose general manager later called it “the best interview that I ever had,” and he won Southern California PGA merchandising and assistant professional awards there between 2019 and 2021, per FORE Magazine.

Where can I watch Beef Franke?

Beef Franke’s biggest on-screen run is the first Internet Invitational on YouTube, from episode 1 on the Bob Does Sports channel, which opens with a tribute to him, to the finale on the Internet Invitational channel. He posted on Instagram as @barstoolbeef_. His family’s foundation posts as @codybeefgolf on YouTube and Instagram.

What was Beef Franke’s net worth?

Beef Franke did not publish a number and neither do we.

What about Beef Franke’s weight, his private life, or Reddit theories about his death?

Not something we cover.

Who represents Beef Franke?

No agency or manager was named for Beef Franke in anything we could source; he worked for Barstool Sports as Fore Play’s head golf professional. Ames Create did not represent him; we cover him because people still search what happened to him, and the answer is on the record in national and golf press.

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