Comedian Andrew Santino is part of the 2026 Internet Invitational, and he’s making waves after the first episode dropped on Monday. The reason? He created a huge scene by petitioning to exclude pro golfers from next year’s tournament.
Not a professional by any stretch, Santino is a big part of the YouTube and celebrity golf community. He loves the game and often plays in celebrity pro-ams. He was included in last season’s Internet Invitational and returned when the field expanded from 48 to 64 golfers.
This season, he’s part of Team Dalke (Brad Dalke), but he’s already caused a stir with a couple of the tournament’s biggest names (George and Wesley Bryan), the Bryan Bros.
Santino Has “Beef” with the Bryan Bros.
During the first episode, it was clear from the outset that Santino was pushing to eliminate pros from the tournament, citing the unfair advantage they have over the other competitors. That started at the initial meeting when the teams were drafted. During the round, he was partnered with DOD King as they took on Robby Berger of Bob Does Sports and Wesley Bryan in a scramble 2-v-2 format.
Things came to a head when, during their matchup, Bryan made Santino and DOD King finish a short putt that would otherwise have been called a gimme. When Dave Portnoy came around—the creator of the Internet Invitational and founder of Barstool Sports—Santino went off on the low-class move, suggesting both the Bryan Bros. be tossed from the tournament.
This Is All Just For the Cameras
Things got a little more intense when Santino made Berger putt a short one, then grabbed his ball and threw it into the rough. It was a low-class tit-for-tat that drew a crowd.
What many fans might not get is that this is likely a comedy bit by Santino. He’s playing it up and staying in character, but the chances this is a real issue are not high. He’s putting on a show and trying to get inside the head of the Bryan Bros. while also catching camera time on a video that already has over six million views.
Imagine This Tournament Without Pros?
Santino’s comments have stirred up quite the debate, but the premise of his argument is incredibly ignorant and naive. The idea of the Internet Invitational without high-end, former pro golfers is wild. The mix of good golfers and not-so-strong golfers is what makes for such good content.
If the entire field were made up of celebrities and comedians like Santino, fans wouldn’t tune in. He’s not the draw for golf fanatics; it’s the likes of the Bryan Bros., Dalke, Garret Clark, Grant Horvat, Peter Finch, and others who make this a can’t-miss series. Portnoy understands he needs the biggest and best names from the YouTube Golf space, not B-Level comedians.
Santino likely knows this and knows his staged argument will only add to the drama of an event that loves to promote storylines.
Andrew Santino Causes Scene With Outrageous Demand At Internet Invitational