Ever wonder how a golfer who never won an LPGA event became the sport’s most followed human on Instagram?
Paige Spiranac, 31, has 4 million followers hanging on every crop top swing tutorial and “grow the game” manifesto. The San Diego native was a legit college standout at San Diego State and Arizona, even cracking the Cactus Tour. But let’s be real — her pro career peaked at a single LPGA qualifying attempt. The tour card? Denied. The influencer crown? Absolutely secured.
Since pivoting full-time to content circa 2016, Spiranac has built a multimedia empire: “Playing A Round” podcast, PointsBet ambassadorship, Golf Digest columns, and enough sponsored posts to fund a small country club. She’s also remarkably candid about the dark side — leaking her own nudes at 18 (a “catastrophic mistake”), cyberbullying so severe she considered quitting, and the constant “she only shows skin” chorus. Her clapback game? Elite. “I’m not going to apologize for having a body,” she told SI Swim in 2022. Fair.
Critics argue she sexualizes golf. Fans counter she’s democratizing a stuffy sport. The numbers don’t lie: her engagement rates crush most PGA Tour pros. Brands pay premium for access to her demographic — women 18-34 who’d never watch the Travelers Championship otherwise. She’s also raised six figures for cyberbullying charities. So… pioneer or thirst trap architect?
What do you think? A) She’s legitimately growing golf’s audience B) She’s just cleverly monetizing male gaze