Can golf be sexy? If you ask the 3.1 million followers of Paige Spiranac on Instagram, they’d definitely nod their heads.
The 28-year old is a one of the most well-known golf pros on social media. After starting out her career as a promising young golfer, she rocketed herself to fame through her massive Instagram following.
In 2016, she retired from professional golf. However, she’s still active on her social media accounts, making money through various golf-related endorsements and sponsorships.
Read on to find out more about Paige Spiranac, including her golf career, personal life, net worth and more.
Early Years
Paige Spiranac was born on March 26, 1993 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. She is of Croatian descent and was born into a very athletic family.
Her mother was a professional Ballerina. And her father was a member of the 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers national championship college football team. Paige’s sister, Lexie, competed in Stanford’s track team.
Before golf, Paige was an aspiring gymnast. She trained at an elite level with hopes of qualifying for the Olympics. She told Golf.com she train six days a week for up to seven hours at a time.
However, at age 12, her hopes were dashed when she acquired a fractured knee-cap. After much soul searching, she decided she still wanted to become a professional athlete. Golf was the sport she felt naturally drawn to after trying a number of different sports.
Beginning Of Paige Spiranac’s Golf Career
While competing in the Colorado Junior golf circuit, Paige won five tournaments out of seven tries. This included the 2010 CWGA Junior Stroke Play. She eventually became a top college recruit and won a golf scholarship to The University of Arizona.
After experiencing bullying at Arizona, in her sophomore year she transferred to San Diego State University. While there, she became the captain of the women’s golf team.
In her senior season she led the team to win the Mountain West Conference Championship. It was the women’s golf team’s first conference championship in the school’s history. Paige also earned All-Mountain West Conference honors during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
Paige Spiranac’s Rise On Social Media
In 2015, unbeknownst to Spiranac, a friend sent a picture of her to the TFM girls Instagram account. For those unfamiliar, the account is associated with the popular college website Total Frat Move.
Total Frat Move subsequently spotlighted her in an article. As a result, her Instagram following jumped from 10k to over 100k followers in two days.
Her social media presence exploded from there, fueled by her racy, cleavage-heavy golfing posts.
Pro Golf And Retirement
There was a huge social media explosion around Paige Spiranac and her momentum she was growing online. As a result, the sponsors and endorsements started coming her way.
She also caught the attention of the organizers of the 2015 Omega Dubai Ladies Classic. That was enough for them to invite her to play on the Ladies European Tour.
As a result, Spiranac made her pro debut in Dubai in December 2015. Unfortunately she finished 101st out of 107 and didn’t make the cut.
Paige continued to refine her game and swing. And in May 2016, she debuted on the Cactus Tour where she finished 14th in her first event.
On her third start at the Scottsdale’s Orange Tree Country Club, she achieved her first and only tournament win. She beat out Hannah Sullivan, the top-ranked amateur at the time.
In August 2016, Spiranac attempted her first LPGA Qualifying Tournament. Sadly, she was unsuccessful in gaining a card to play on the professional circuit.
In December 2016, Spiranac was invited to the Ladies European Tour in Dubai once again, but missed the cut.
Since then, she has retired from playing golf professionally.
Controversy
Paige Spiranac’s path to becoming a professional golfer caused a divide in the golf community. Many accused her of using her looks and sex appeal to get ahead, rather than talent.
Her feature on the cover of Gold Digest stirred questions on what she accomplished to deserve such attention. Many pointed to the fact that she had never even finished in the top 300 of the NCAA rankings.
Spiranac has been criticized for ‘sexualizing women’s golf,’ a sentiment which she says hurt her deeply. Other Instagram sports influencers like Bri Teresi however, have embraced this trend.
However, Spiranac hasn’t allowed the criticism to hold her back. In 2018, her popularity as a sports media personality grew even more when she appeared in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition.
Relationships
Paige Spiranac married Steven Tinoco, a personal trainer and former minor league baseball player, in 2018.
They began dating after he DM’d her on Instagram. Paige was impressed with his old-fashioned manners and his good heart. She prefers to keep the details of their marriage private.
Previous to Steven, she dated various athletes.
Paige Spiranac Net Worth
Paige Spiranac’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million. She earns this through her endorsements and social media posts. Paige also has partnerships with companies like Octagon, Barstool Sports, Topgolf and 18Birdies.
Where To Next For Paige Spiranac?
Paige Spiranac has retired from professional golf and instead is focused on her social media career and personal brand. “I don’t play professionally anymore. I am in golf media.”
She regularly collaborates with various brands. Paige also hosts golf clinics, events and has endorsement deals with sporting brands and golf apps.
In 2020, she launched a podcast called Playing-A-Round where she talks about sport with a healthy dose of sex.
Paige has said that she would like to use her fame to campaign against bullying. Much of that has to do with her having been the target of online and offline bullying throughout her life. She is an official ambassador of The Cybersmile Foundation which provides support for victims of cyberbullying.
She also expressed a desire to use her platform to support female golfers and spot light the sport. “There are so many women athletes who need to get more recognition,” said Spiranac. “I would like to use my platform to amplify them.”
When she isn’t at the gym or perfecting her game, Paige enjoys traveling the world. She also enjoys making trick shot videos, reading comic books or exploring her interest in fashion.
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