Golf pro, content creator Cody 'Beef' Franke dead at 31 after sudden medical issue
Tim Schmitt- Cody "Beef" Franke, the first head pro for the "Fore Play" golf podcast, has died at age 31.
- Barstool Sports, which hosts the podcast, announced the death and described Franke as a "nice, more genuine person."
- Franke was a PGA of America professional who previously worked as the head pro at Thornberry Creek in Wisconsin.
- According to Barstool's golf account, Franke passed away from a sudden medical issue.
Less than a year after his profile was dramatically raised as the first head pro of the popular golf podcast Fore Play, Cody "Beef" Franke died at the age of 31, Barstool Sports announced Monday.
"Barstool lost a member of our family this weekend," said a post on the site's social media 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"
But while he became a bigger brand after signing with the website, Franke was a PGA of America professional, working previously as the head pro at Thornberry Creek, just outside Green Bay, Wisconsin.
According to the PGA of America, Franke graduated from the PGA Golf Management program at Ferris State in Michigan, then moved to Southern California at Desert Willow as an assistant before heading to Wisconsin. His viral Tip Tuesday series on social media was a huge success.
"Beef's 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," a post from the PGA of America said.
According to a post at Barstool, Franke died from "a sudden medical issue over the weekend" while attending a wedding.