Cody ‘Beef’ Franke, a major contributor and golf enthusiast with Barstool Sports, has passed away, the website announced Monday.
‘Barstool lost a member of our family this weekend,’ read a post from the Barstool account. ‘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. #RipBeef’
Barstool’s golf account also honored Frank in a separate post, which explained he died from ‘a sudden medical issue over the weekend.’
‘Heartbreaking news,’ golf influencer Paige Spiranac wrote on X. ‘He was such a kind and good person.’
There was an immediate outpouring of grief among Barstool’s army of contributors and fans, much of which centered on Franke’s kindness, warmth and his love of golf.
‘Cody truly loved the game of golf,’ read a statement from Barstool Sports. ‘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.’
Cody ‘Beef’ Franke, a major contributor and golf enthusiast for Barstool Sports, has passed away, the website announced Monday. He suffered a sudden medical issue, per reports
Beef, as he was known, had been a PGA Of America pro before moving on to Barstool Sports
Franke’s notoriety actually predated his time with Barstool Sports. A PGA of America Golf Professional and the head pro at Thornberry Creek in Wisconsin, Franke spent nearly a decade in the sport before he got an email from Barstool founder Dave Portnoy.
‘I originally thought it was a fake email,’ Franke told PGA.com about his decision to join Barstool Sports in March.
Franke would become Barstool Sports’ lead golf pro for its Fore Play podcast.
‘He and I see the same way about content and media – tip ideas, content that’s easy consumable instead of a 30-minute show, etc,’ Franke said of Portnoy. ‘It just turned into if I wanted to do it full time or part time.’
And as Franke explained, he wanted to give the podcast everything he had.
‘Being a PGA Member, you can’t really do something like this part time and work at a golf course. There’s just too much time being consumed. So, I made the decision to go full time.’
In addition to his sound golf tips and gregarious personality, Franke was also known for his gentle manners. As Barstool’s Frankie Borrelli observed at one golf event, Franke removed his hat every single time he was introduced to someone.
‘If Beef meets 1000 people, he’s taking his hat off 1000 times,’ Borrelli wrote. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. He took his hat off to say goodnight at the Airbnb the other day. The epitome of class.’
Barstool’s statement on Franke’s passing made sure to mention that endearing habit.
‘We’ll all be removing our hats for Cody today and everyday (sic),’ the Barstool statement concluded. ‘Rest in peace to the classiest man we knew.’
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Barstool fan favorite and golf professional Cody ‘Beef’ Franke dead at 31 after ‘sudden medical issue’
