What happened: Grant Horvat and Justin Gaethje are unbeaten in two matches as an Internet Invitational pair. They won 1 up in Episode 2, then halved their Episode 3 scramble against Seb Carmichael-Brown and Cole Lantz. Fore Play Golf put the partnership back in focus with a new official Short published Tuesday night.
The official clip returns to an unlikely partnership
Fore Play Golf published a new Internet Invitational Short late Tuesday with the title "Grant Horvat & Justin Gaethje core. All-time duo." The clip had 44,630 public views when Infinite18 checked Wednesday morning. The title is playful, but the pairing has produced real tournament value for Team White.
Horvat is one of creator golf's most polished players. Gaethje entered the event from a completely different competitive world, carrying the profile of an elite combat-sports athlete rather than a full-time golf creator. The Internet Invitational put them together twice, and neither pairing ended in defeat.
The timing matters. Episode 3 moved the tournament from an elimination battle into a two-team contest between Ryan Ruffels' White side and Wesley Bryan's Green side. Every pairing had to contribute to a race toward 12.5 points, so a reliable partnership became more valuable than a one-off viral moment.
Episode 2 gave the duo its first pressure result
Horvat and Gaethje first played together in Episode 2 during the alternate-shot session. They faced Roger Steele and Short Game King with Team White trying to erase Team Blue's advantage. Alternate shot is a demanding test because partners have to live with each other's misses and cannot create a backup option.
The match reached the 18th hole with Horvat and Gaethje one up. Horvat made the closing putt, while Short Game King missed a short chance that would have halved the match. The 1-up result gave White a full point and helped force the overall session to an 8-8 tie.
That point became part of the setup for Big John's famous playoff putt later in the episode. Horvat and Gaethje did not deliver the final viral image, but their match was one of the results that made sudden death possible.
Episode 3 asked for a different kind of golf
The same two players were paired again for the Episode 3 morning scramble at Buffalo Ridge. This time they faced Carmichael-Brown and Lantz. A scramble allows both partners to hit and select the better ball, which creates more scoring chances but also raises the standard because opponents can attack with two options on every shot.
The teams traded birdies and reached the finish without separation. Horvat and Gaethje halved the match, adding half a point to White's morning total. The result was less dramatic than their Episode 2 finish, but it extended their unbeaten record as a pair.
White finished the scramble session with a 6-2 lead. The tournament then moved toward 16 singles matches, with 12.5 points required to win the stage. A half point can become decisive in that structure because it changes the exact number of singles victories or ties needed later.
The pair nearly produced a $500,000 ace
The Episode 3 format also gave every ninth hole a separate cash prize. Each ninth was worth $50,000, split between the two partners, and ties carried the money into later groups. Horvat and Gaethje remained involved even after their match result because the cash hole operated as a second contest.
One tee shot in their match ran just beyond the cup, narrowly missing the event's $500,000 hole-in-one prize. The opposing side openly acknowledged that an ace would have been worth losing the hole. That moment captured the unusual incentives built into the tournament.
The shot did not become an ace, and the pair did not receive a manufactured result. The official scoreboard still records a tie. That distinction is important because the new Short celebrates chemistry without changing the competitive facts.
Horvat supplies structure while Gaethje supplies pressure comfort
Horvat's role in the partnership is easy to understand. His controlled swing, repeatable ball striking and experience in filmed matches give the pair a stable golf foundation. He is accustomed to cameras, long production days and matches that must remain watchable even when the golf becomes tense.
Gaethje brings a different form of competitive credibility. He may not have Horvat's golf resume, but high-pressure performance is central to his professional identity. The Internet Invitational benefits when a crossover athlete treats the golf seriously and remains engaged after mistakes.
The pairing works because their strengths are not redundant. Horvat does not need Gaethje to imitate a creator golfer, and Gaethje does not need Horvat to manufacture intensity. One supplies the technical baseline, while the other makes the partnership feel unpredictable without becoming unserious.
The new Short is promotion, not a new result
The official Short arrived after Episode 3, but it does not announce another completed match or alter the standings. It is a focused promotional clip drawn from the tournament, and its significance comes from whom the organizer chose to spotlight.
That difference separates a verified update from speculation. White still led Green 6-2 after the morning scrambles shown in Episode 3. Horvat and Gaethje still owned one win and one tie together. The afternoon singles portion was not completed in the episode, so the event had not yet declared the final advancing side.
Episode 4 had not appeared on the official Fore Play Golf feed when Infinite18 checked Wednesday morning. The current story is therefore the new official partnership spotlight and the competitive record behind it, not an invented preview or leaked result.
Why the duo matters to the Internet Invitational
The Internet Invitational is built around combinations that would rarely exist in conventional tournament golf. Creator professionals, entertainment personalities, athletes and celebrities have to share points under changing formats. The best pairings create both a credible match and a distinct reason to watch.
Horvat and Gaethje have done that across alternate shot and scramble. They closed a 1-up win under pressure, then avoided a loss in a format where birdies came quickly. Their two-match record is modest in sample size, but it is complete and verified.
The official "all-time duo" label is intentionally exaggerated for a Short. The underlying case is still strong: two formats, two opponents, one win, one tie and no losses. Until the next episode changes the tournament, that is the cleanest way to measure their partnership.
What comes next
The twice-weekly Internet Invitational schedule points toward another episode after Monday's Episode 3, but the next result must come from an official release. White's lead gives Ruffels' side an advantage, not a guaranteed victory, because the singles session offers enough points for Green to recover.
Horvat and Gaethje may be separated when singles begin. If that happens, their work as a pair will remain part of White's foundation rather than the closing act. Each player will have to convert individual form into the points needed to reach 12.5.
For now, the new official clip is a reminder that the tournament's most effective stories are not always its captains or its final putts. Sometimes a creator and a crossover athlete simply become a functional team, survive two different formats and give the event a partnership worth revisiting.