Episode 4 of the 2026 Internet Invitational turned into a rules controversy, with three disputes in the Day 2 singles at Buffalo Ridge. Big John and Cheddy were both penalized, and Kevin Kisner had to settle another on the green.
Team Ruffels won the day 12.5-6.5 to eliminate Team Bryan, but the rulings drew just as much attention as the result.
The first came in Big John’s match against Sam Heung Min. Sam called out Big John after saying his ball moved forward when he addressed it in the fairway before an approach shot.
Big John did not believe the ball had moved but accepted the penalty. Under the Rules of Golf, a player who causes their ball at rest to move takes a one-stroke penalty and must replace it.
A few holes later, Sam called the same penalty on himself on a chip shot. Big John did not want him to take it, and Big John went on to win the match 3&2.
RELATED: Internet Invitational Episode 4 Results: Team Bryan Eliminated
The opening singles match between Riggs and Cheddy had two disputes of its own. Riggs was already unhappy that Cheddy was not conceding two-foot putts and was not replacing the flagstick.
On the eighth hole of the match, Justin Gaethje, riding in Riggs’ cart, said Cheddy had moved his ball while marking it on the green. Kisner was called in and ruled it was not a penalty, since accidentally moving a ball on the putting green while marking it carries no penalty and the ball is simply replaced.
Cheddy holed the par putt, then threw his ball into the water. On the final hole, both players hit their tee shots through the fairway and into the rough.
Cheddy said he had thrown a Titleist into a pond on the previous hole and put a TaylorMade in play, but he had not marked it and did not know its number. A ball a player cannot identify as their own is treated as lost under the Rules of Golf, which carries a stroke-and-distance penalty.
“I’m a Cheddy guy, but that’s a problem,” Portnoy said. Cheddy was penalized, and Riggs halved the match.
RELATED: Internet Invitational 2026 Schedule: Times, How to Watch
Portnoy was later caught discussing the lost ball situation without realizing Riggs was standing right behind him.
Riggs, Big John and the rest of Team Ruffels’ 16 players are now split into four teams of four. One team will be eliminated at the start of Episode 5, which premieres Monday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. ET on YouTube.
