Paige Spiranac, The Golfer and Social Media Personality

By: Mia Williams | Published: Sep 05, 2023

Social media is undeniably here to stay. Platforms including Facebook and Twitter allow us to enhance how we communicate with others, keep all of our favorite celebrities and personalities close by, share content, and promote our businesses or projects that we find interesting.

One of the biggest celebrity athletes is American professional golfer, Paige Spiranac, who went viral as soon as she first posted on Instagram. Paige has amassed 2.8 million Instagram followers by creating entertaining, shareable – and sometimes controversial – content that represents strong women everywhere.

A Bit Of Background Before the Drama

Paige Spiranac was born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, on March 26, 1993. She attended the University of Arizona, where she played Division 1 golf for both the University of Arizona Golf team’s Mountain West Conference Championship team as well as its 2012 to 2013 All-Mountain West Conference Championship team.

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In addition to her collegiate success, she also led her fellow Aztecs in 2015 during their championship season victory against Boise State during their first-ever Mountain West Conference title since being established in 2014.

Beginnings of a Golf Career

In 2015, Paige began playing professional golf. Paige was an honored member of the famous Cactus Tour, and her first win came at the Orange Tree Country Club in Scottsdale.

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Paige Spiranac won five of seven tournaments on the junior golf circuit in Colorado before moving up to the professional ranks. This included joining the 2010 CWGA (Colorado Women’s Golf Association) Junior Stroke Play Championship, which earned her a number two spot in the world ranking as one of the top 20 junior golfers in her country in 2010.

Hard Work Pays Off

Leading up to college, Paige Spiranac had to contend with a lot of stress. She began her college career by trying her hand at her first golfing event event for the West Region Player of the Year.

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Upon succeeding in this tournament, which was equivalent to taking part as the first-team all-American representative of the Future Collegians World Tour, she was given a scholarship from the University of Arizona. Through hard work and motivation, Paige competed in three competitions during her time there. Her best score while in college was 73 in the 2011-2012 season.

Making Moves

In her sophomore year of college, Paige moved to San Diego State University. She proceeded to pick up several more prizes for herself, as well as her team the San Diego State University Aztecs.

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Over the course of her senior year, Paige made history by working to help the team gain their first-ever win in the Mountain West Conference championship competition. Afterward, in July of 2015, Paige defeated the Colorado Boulder’s star player ,Brittany Fan, during the 35-hole championship match.

An Instant Sensation

A viral 2015 article about Paige encouraged the online community to check out Paige’s Instagram account. This promotion resulted in a large-scale increase in Paige’s followers.

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In less than two days, Paige’s following jumped from less than 10K to 100K followers. As a direct result of this major spike in popularity, Paige was invited to take part in the December 2016 Omega Ladies Dubai Classic Golf Tournament.

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Golf's Hottest Star

At the Omega Ladies Dubai Classic Golf Tournament, Paige Spiranac joined the playoffs. In the end, though, she didn’t make the cut.

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Nonetheless, competing at this prestigious tournament led her to get even more endorsement deals and other sponsorship opportunities. She continued to gain popularity on Instagram and has cemented her spot as one of golf’s hottest stars that are currently taking over social media.

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A Blooming Star

In 2017, Paige signed a contract with the company Parsons Xtreme Golf. She became a brand ambassador for their golf app as well as advertisements shown on both television and social media platforms.

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She was an active 18Birdies sponsor, a golf app meant to promote healthy competition among competitors and interaction among golfers across America. It has GPS capability, and also has the ability to track your golf score and other statistics.

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Modeling and Writing Parallel Her Golf Career

More recently, Paige has been featured in numerous sports magazines, including Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated.

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She also started a monthly writing gig for Golf Magazine beginning in December 2018, where she’s written several articles about her passion, you guessed it, golf!

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Ever-Growing Celebrity Status Before the Backlash

As Paige’s reputation grew, she was also afforded the prestigious chance to sign contracts with Philip Stein Watches and Mizzen + Main.

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These affiliate contracts have really boosted Paige’s celebrity status over the page 5 years.

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An Advocate Against Bullying

In the same year, Paige took part in the Cybersmile Foundation a non-profit that works to provide resources for victims of cyberbullying.

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Paige was inspired to work with this organization after disclosing that she had been bullied as well when she was young due to a health condition that prevented her from growing hair naturally. When explaining why she felt compelled to offer her support to this important cause, Paige said that she could relate to school children who suffer from being different.

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Social Media Influencer Career Continued

Earlier photos and videos on Paige’s Instagram account mostly deal with her golfing career. She initially began posting various pictures and videos which showed her in golfing gear, promoting different golf tricks for her followers.

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Since she built a massive online following during her career as a professional golfer, so it’s not surprising that people took an interest when she made the decision to embark on a new career path! Prior to transitioning into social media marketing, she used Instagram to connect with fans who loved to see her in golf apparel.

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Controversy Brews

Later on, she propelled the same Instagram account to include different brand endorsements, including those she represented.

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As time went on, Paige took an even more active role in promoting her own brand by using her social media accounts to introduce a new take on her personality. Paige started posting different pictures that created controversy among her followers and critics alike.

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People Become Upset

Paige Spiranac’s fame rose after the release of Instagram content featuring golfing photos and selfies. However, she received a significant amount of feedback for these media pieces, with many people criticizing her.

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The comments she received prompted questions about what exactly she was trying to accomplish by publicizing herself on social networks in this way. This criticism also spread to some of her professional roles, such as a controversial photo on the cover of Golf Digest.

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A Question If She Deserved It All

In the length of almost 70 years, there have only been 23 women featured on the cover of Golf Digest.

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Of those 23 cover girls, only 11 were professional female golfers. Critics of Paige’s spread questioned whether Paige was deserving of such prominent inclusion in a cover photo due to her comparative lack of experience in the sport.

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Something To Talk About

Sarah Spain, a sports commentator for ESPN, criticized Paige Spiranac, saying that Paige only got such a prestigious honor because of her physical appearance and clothing choices.

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However, fans jumped to Paige’s rescue. They defended Paige, pointing out that Paige’s fans love her fashion sense because it gives them something to talk about that isn’t related to what clubs she should use next time around or how fast she hit the ball at any given point during a game!

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She Saw Herself As A Body Advocate

In an attempt to counter the criticism she was receiving for her photoshoot, Paige took the opportunity to promote her anti-bullying message.

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She discussed how she experienced harassment after being featured on Golf Digest and Sports Illustrated cover, which ultimately motivated her to continue fighting against online abuse. She explained how it’s important for women of all shapes and sizes to feel comfortable in their own skin.

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Paige Can't Escape Controversy

In response to this controversy, the 2017 LPGA tour laid down new rules in regards to player dress code. The said rule bans female players from donning short skirts, plunging necklines, and leggings while they are on the course during a tournament.

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The LPGA Tour administration wanted focus off women’s bodies and more on their skills in this traditionally male-dominated sport. This decision has sparked controversy among veteran players and fans alike, who believe these new rules are “sexually discriminating” and causing many players to lose sponsorship opportunities because they do not conform to these standards.

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Paige Speaks Out

Paige Spiranac found herself in the center of a media blitz following the 2017 US Women’s Open when the LPGA announced new dress guidelines. She wrote an op-ed piece in Fortune magazine called “The Progression of Women’s Golf Is Plunging Further than Our Necklines,” which provoked even further discussion among women’s golf fans and critics alike.

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Paige has rather boldly noted that she does not want to be objectified by wearing clothes that adhere to a rule that discriminates against her womanhood. She argues that she is a professional, playing in a professional setting.

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Gender Equality

Paige launched a podcast, Playing Around with Paige Renee. In the said podcast, Paige Renee speaks to listeners about her passion for golf and how she has a strong desire to let women take ‘risqué’ clothing styles into consideration when playing the sport, despite the male population of golfers who may find this unfair or intimidating.

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Paige adores playing golf, and according to her, the sport embodies a strong sense of freedom. Paige has been very vocal about gender equality.

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Not Fading From The Spotlight

Paige has been posting content regularly over the years on her various social media accounts, including Youtube, Twitter, and TikTok.

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She loves taking selfies with her dog and also posts videos about golf frequently. For those who are interested to know more about this entrepreneurial star, it’s best to follow her on various social media handles where she can be reached easily and directly via messaging.

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Not Backing Down From The Sexy-Look

As fans peruse through a series of posts on her social media accounts, they can see a series of images depicting her holding up a golf club and looking hot in various outfits. The other pictures more or less show her getting ready to hit the ball on the fairway of an imaginary golf course. She has about 2.8 million followers on one platform alone.

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Paige makes sure to promote products and services from her for-profit and charitable marketing campaigns. Paige gives fans motivational speeches and shares personal opinions on her social media accounts.

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An Inspiration

Paige posts the podcast episodes on Instagram. Several of the episodes have sassy names, giving the listener the impression that Paige is going to talk about more than golf. Even so, in the midst of her personal opinions, Paige uses these podcasts to teach golf tricks that golf enthusiasts and fans can use as they attempt to improve their golf skills.

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Paige encourages listeners to practice the new skills learned from her tips. She answers questions from Instagram followers on additional topics that fans may think about in connection with her golf posts.

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Fans Still Adore Her

Paige is quite lucky. Her fans continue to support her podcasts and photos, respecting her as an athlete and paying close attention to the different golf trick shots she posts online.

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Most recently, they’ve been asking her questions about the sport specifically tailored towards her expertise. Throughout these conversations, Paige often shares additional advice with them regarding playing golf in order to make the most of the interactions.

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A Multi-Faceted Woman

Paige grew up in Monument, Colorado. As she was growing up, she also practiced gymnastics and hoped one day to join and compete for the Olympic team.

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Her talent in gymnastics permitted her to jump levels because of all of the awards she’d gotten. She was even invited to the Karolyi Ranch, where she got injured at age 12. This injury prevented her from continuing her gymnastics career but led the way for her to begin pursuing another passion: golf.

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She Excelled Where She Could

As a home-school student, Paige split her time between Monument, Colorado, and Scottsdale, Arizona. As a home-school student, Paige played golf as much as possible to take advantage of the time she didn’t have to spend in school.

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When she was growing up, her knee condition made it hard for her to participate in other sports. But thanks to practicing at the driving range, she acquired an uncanny sense of aim and precision which helped her, later on, become one of the best professional golfers today.

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A Family Of Achievers

Paige Spiranac was born to a family of Croatian heritage. Her father, Dan, was the former Captain of the Pittsburgh football team back in 1976. Her mother, Annette, used to be a professional ballerina. Paige’s older sister, Lexie, did her time at Stanford’s track.

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In December of 2016, Steven Tinoco proposed to Paige, and she said yes! They are now happily married. Steven Tinoco worked as a former minor league baseball player.

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She Draws Attention!

Paige Spiranac, a popular Instagram star, attracts mixed reactions from her followers and non-followers alike. Her social media accounts are overflowing with everything she chooses to share, including photos and videos showing both her beauty and passion for golf.

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Some people criticize her for her risqué clothes, but there is no denying that she has every right to wear what she needs to feel comfortable. While she is often criticized for wearing revealing clothes, it could be said that Paige has gained a following for her willingness to embrace what makes her feel good about herself rather than listening to other people who try to dictate how she should think or act.

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Challenging But Exciting

Paige describes the sport of golf as challenging and exciting, but one thing that makes it special for her is the mystery – never knowing how she’s going to perform. That keeps it exciting for her every time.

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She shared that she finds it to be the “hardest sport ever,” but no matter how she does, she makes golfing look easy.

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Meet Niko, Her Bestie

Niko is Paige’s furry friend. She frequently posts their adventures together on her Instagram posts and stories. And we’re sure that if you’ve ever seen a picture of the two together, you can understand why. He’s incredibly lovable!

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Niko is an Australian cattle dog mix. When not at home with him or pampering him at a pet store, Paige isn’t afraid to share some cute stories about her best friend, and we’d highly recommend following both Paige as well as Niko on social media for some laughs! They are the perfect pair. He’s a handsome pooch!

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Speaking Out On Behalf Of Others

Paige has been fired up by the honor and opportunity to talk to young female athletes as a representative of the Cybersmile Foundation. She loves the opportunity to inspire these young women.

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Paige encourages her listeners, some of whom were victims of bullying, by giving them the chance to open up about their experiences and also let them know that there is another way; that there is a light at the end of every tunnel, and it’s imperative for all to never give up on their dreams no matter how bleak their situations might be.

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Fun Facts Continued

When you’re a famous professional athlete with money and fame, you pretty much can buy anything you want. You’re also under the public’s watchful eye.

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Recently, Paige got a lot of attention all over social media when she posted on Instagram that everyone kept on asking her to get started buying furniture for her home. So, she bought a bounce house and put it in the middle of her living room.

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She Is More Than Just Her Looks

Paige says she’s a geek by nature. She loves the Marvel universe, but her favorite has always been Iron Man.

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In fact, whenever winter comes, Paige comes goes into hibernation and cuddles up under her super-cosy blanket, ready to dive into one of her many colorful comic books that she has in her collection. She talks more about her nerdy side in her podcast.

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She Is Not Always Dressed Sexily

Contrary to popular belief, Paige wears sweatpants on a regular basis much like most of us. Many wonder if she ever ventures outside wearing attire that isn’t super revealing but the answer is yes – she does.

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Here, she can be seen wearing her Captain America sweatpants which any fans would recognize from a vintage issue of the comic book series.

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Onto New Ventures

In 2016, Paige decided to retire from her professional golf pursuits. While this left her fans temporarily sad, her growing presence on social media continues to engage and inspire.

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Even though Paige has retired from professional golf, her retirement hasn’t stopped her from playing regularly. She is also passionate about health and fitness and can’t wait to see where her next adventure takes her.

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