Luke Kwon sleeps on the first tee at Internet Invitational

Some guys buy a second alarm clock. Luke Kwon brought camping gear, and Dave Portnoy loved it.

Dave Portnoy

@stoolpresidente

Unbelievable move by Luke Kwon on the first tee of the 2026 @Internetinvite t.co/PAYhqQbpgB

If you missed last year, here's why this is funny. At the 2025 Internet Invitational, Kwon slept through a 9:30 a.m. tee time on the first day of competition. His partner, PFT Commenter, had to go out and play without him. Kwon then strolled up like nothing had happened, and that attitude is what pushed Portnoy, the event's host and rules commissioner, to hand him a 4-hole penalty in a 9-hole match instead of the usual 1. His team ended up in an 8-4 hole when it might have been 7-5.

Showing up late wasn't the whole problem. Before the match Kwon had told PFT, a 22 handicap, that he could shank it over and over and Kwon wouldn't care. Then he arrived late and talked trash to the partner he'd just left hanging. The episode made Kwon the villain of YouTube golf overnight and racked up millions of views. Days later he posted an apology video aimed at PFT and Ryan Whitney.

So the 2026 move speaks for itself. Every Barstool account had the same joke ready: there was ZERO chance he was oversleeping this time, because his bed was on the tee box. And instead of another penalty, the commissioner floated a job offer.

Barstool Sports

@barstoolsports

ZERO chance Luke Kwon was oversleeping at this year's Internet Invitational

"We'll fucking hire his ass for that type of move" is a pretty big turnaround from last year, when Portnoy was handing out the harshest ruling the event had seen. A Portnoy hire threat is half joke and half real, since he's built a company on people who commit to a bit. Self-awareness is the fastest way to get back in his good graces, and Kwon just showed plenty of it.

Now the golf has to hold up. The tent guarantees he's on time. It doesn't guarantee he plays well, and it doesn't guarantee his partner forgives last year. Still, Kwon turned the worst moment of his creator career into the best bit of this year's tournament before hitting a shot. If the golf matches the stunt, the villain arc might be over.