Grant Horvat has built a huge following on YouTube with his smile, his swing, and his willingness to play with anyone. But the Internet Invitational, with a four-million-dollar prize purse on the line, is a different kind of test. One that shook his nerves, but he overcame it successfully. Now his teammate Paige Spiranac has explained why that moment in particular stood out to her.

Taking to X on October 30, after Episode 2 aired, Spiranac named Horvat’s playoff showing as one of her favorite moments of the event so far. She noted how stressful the event is and said it was understandable for anyone to shy away from that responsibility.

“One of my favorite moments of the Internet Invitational so far was Grant coming in clutch in the playoff,” she revealed in the X post. “It’s one of the most stressful, pressure-filled environments you can imagine, so it’s understandable to not want the ball. But he took it and hit an incredible shot to set Big John up. Was so cool to watch!”

Her comments make more sense given what was at stake. This year’s edition is a three-day, 64-player event at Big Cedar Lodge with a $4 million purse. The winning team of three splits the money, which works out to roughly $1.3 million per player. Spiranac and Horvat are both on Team White, captained by Ryan Ruffels. On Day 1, Team White faced Peter Finch’s Team Blue, with the losing team set to be eliminated.

Team Blue led 4.5-3.5 heading into the alternate-shot back nine. Team White fought back, and Horvat had already played his part earlier in the day. He and Justin Gaethje won their match after Short Game King missed a two-footer on the last. But the final match swung on the 18th hole, leaving the teams level at 8-8 and forcing a sudden-death playoff.

The playoff was alternate shot, with two players per side and no repeated pairings. Ruffels and Micah Morris halved the first hole with Finch and Luke Kwon after both teams made par. The second hole then paired Horvat with Big John against Roger Steele and Rick Shiels.

Things looked bleak early. Big John’s drive found the fairway bunker, while Steele’s tee shot left him only about 100 yards out. Horvat then hit a 9-iron to 22 feet. Team Blue made par, and Big John holed the 22-footer with his Reaper putter to send Team White through to Day 2. Big John was the last man in the field, having been invited by the Bob Does Sports group.

However, the final result didn’t tell the whole story of what Horvat was going through. He had told Ruffels that he didn’t feel good about his game, but the captain picked him anyway. A clip of Horvat sinking a five-foot putt with a visibly shaking hand also went viral. He later addressed the moment in a YouTube comment on the video.

“I totally acknowledge I didn’t want the ball,” he said.

He added that his game felt horrible that day and that he was glad his teammates pushed him to play.

That makes the playoff showing even more notable considering Horvat is no stranger to big moments. In 2025, he won the Creator Classic at TPC Sawgrass by making a birdie on the first playoff hole. Spiranac was part of that week too, doing on-course commentary.

Spiranac, meanwhile, knows the pressure of the Internet Invitational well. She captained Team Spiranac to the final in 2025, where Team Dalke beat them. She has also spoken openly about her own anxiety and therapy, which adds context to her understanding of how difficult it can be to step up in such a moment.

Fans have been just as supportive of Horvat’s showing. Many pointed out that he had faced criticism for looking nervous but delivered when it mattered most. Others singled out his bunker shot as one of the moments people should remember.

With that playoff victory, Team White now moves into Day 2. Episode 3 drops on Monday, November 2.

The post 'So Cool To Watch': Paige Spiranac Opens Up on Grant’s Nerve-Racking Internet Invitational Playoff Heroics appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.