Barstool Sports personality and former golf pro Cody “Beef” Franke has died after a “sudden medical issue.”
“Barstool lost a member of our family this weekend. Just tragic news,” founder and owner Dave Portnoy said on social media. “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. #Ripbeef”
Dan “Big Cat” Katz, another Barstool host, said during a Monday recording that Franke was at a wedding in the Dominican Republic when the incident occurred.
Still one of my favorite videos of all time. Beef was all class. pic.twitter.com/q8Vtl1ki69
— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) October 27, 2025
Franke, 31, was a native of Lake Villa, Ill. He completed the PGA Golf Management program at Ferris State University in Michigan before landing his first job as a golf pro at Desert Willow, a club in California, where he started making viral training and tips videos that caught the eyes of Portnoy and others.
After a multiyear stint at Thornberry Creek at Oneida, a club in Wisconsin, Franke joined Barstool earlier this year as the media company’s golf pro. He was a frequent guest on several shows, including the golf-centric “Fore Play” podcast.
The influencer said he initially thought the job offer from Portnoy was “fake,” but dove headfirst into his new role as “Barstool Beef.”
He told PGA.com earlier this year that his newfound celebrity was not distracting him from the game.
“Golf has always been home for me,” he said. “If you go to the golf course, it doesn’t really feel like work-work — I’m just at a place I’m really happy to be around. I’m home. That’s what this has always been for me.”
“Cody made so many people laugh, he made so many people smile, and he simply made so many people better,” the podcast said in a social media statement.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Cody’s entire family and loved ones.
“Rest in peace to the classiest man we knew.”