Barstool Sports personality and “Fore Play” contributor Cody “Beef” Franke, who was widely known across the golf world, died suddenly over the weekend, the company announced Oct. 27. He was 31.
Shortly after news of Franke’s death surfaced, golf influencers, creators and analysts reacted with shock and offered touching tributes to the former PGA professional.
Barstool Sports hired Franke in early 2025 as the newest member of the company’s golf brand “Fore Play.” As he noted in his Instagram bio, Franke served the role as “head golf professional” for the brand, which is wildly popular thanks to its podcast and YouTube content.
Fore Play’s ‘Beef’ Dies at 31, Barstool Sports Announces
Barstool Sports’ personality Dan “Big Cat” Katz revealed on the Oct. 27 episode of “The Yak” that Franke died over the weekend following a medical incident while attending a wedding in the Dominican Republic.
“Cody truly loved the game of golf,” the Fore Play account said through an X post after announcing the news. “He selflessly spent much of his life helping others improve and enjoy the game. Watching golf bring people happiness brought him happiness, and that infectious personality was felt by everyone who met him. He was universally known as the nicest guy in the world.”
Before Barstool, Franke was a PGA of America golf pro who graduated from the PGA golf management program at Ferris State. He worked at Desert Willow in California before holding jobs at both Thornberry Creek in Wisconsin. He occasionally went viral with his Tuesday teaching tips videos.
“From his time as a PGA professional to his time at Barstool Sports, Cody made so many people laugh, he made so many people smile, and he simply made so many people better,” the Fore Play statement continued.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Cody’s entire family and loved ones.
“We’ll be removing our hats for Cody today and every day. Rest in peace to the classiest man we knew.”
Franke’s “Fore Play” cohorts all weighed in with social media posts shortly after the news.
Sam “Riggs” Bozoian: “Thinking of Cody’s family today. One of the nicest guys you can come across. He made our brand so much better and we’re going to miss him dearly.”
Trent Ryan: Devastated. Just devastated. Thinking of his family and anybody who ever had the pleasure of meeting him.”
Frankie Borrelli: “Beef made everyone else’s life better. The nicest man I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. Impossible to process the heartbreaking news.”
Barstool founder Dave Portnoy also shared a tribute of his own.
“Barstool lost a member of our family this weekend,” Portnoy posted to X. “Just tragic news. You will never find a nicer, more genuine person than Beef. It’s hard to even process it right now. Just another cruel reminder that tomorrow is never promised and to live each day to its fullest.”
Golf World Reacts to Tragic Passing of Cody ‘Beef’ Franke
Perhaps one of the greatest testaments to the impact Franke had in his life was the outpouring of condolences and tributes from outside the sizable Barstool bubble. The PGA of America, of which Franke was a member, remembered him for his “kind, genuine and warm personality was what made him so great to be around. We were lucky to have worked with him on countless projects this year and will miss his terribly.”
The PGA Tour also expressed its condolences, replying to a Fore Play tweet, saying “Beef was an incredible member of the golf community. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
In wake of Franke’s sudden death, Barstool also decided to postpone the first episode of its “Internet Invitational,” a previously recorded golf tournament featuring 48 of the internet’s most popular golf content creators. The series will be dedicated to Franke.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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