Spiranac is known for posting provocative pictures of herself playing golf on Instagram, and she’s gone viral by starring on the covers of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and Golf Digest
The social media sensation was previously married to trainer Steven Tinoco, runs a podcast called Playing a Round, and shares her golfing tips on her YouTube channel
Who would have thought golfing could look so glam?
Paige Spiranac, the “glamour model” who’s been setting social media alight with her pose-y golf-related posts in recent months, appears to be leading the charge for a trendier take on the sport – at least, when it comes to Instagram.
Paige Spiranac brings glamour to the golf course. PH๏τo: @_paige.renee/Instagram© Provided by South China Morning Post
But not everyone is on board. The golf influencer is known for taking, erm, provocative pics of herself and often faces a backlash for her choice of attire.
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Paige Spiranac is a former golf pro. PH๏τo: Paige Spiranac/Facebook© Provided by South China Morning Post
In one recent Instagram Q&A, the social media star clapped back at netizens when they asked her if she’d ever undergone breast augmentation surgery, per Page Six. “No, because they’ve actually gotten a lot bigger. So I can see a lot of people being confused,” she said, before adding, “It’s because I’ve gained weight, but I can see why people question it and are confused sometimes … the human body is a magical thing.”
She also joined fellow sports star TikTokers the Cavinder twins, Hanna and Haley, for an interview last month discussing body image on social media and “silencing the haters”.
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So who exactly is she, and does she swing a mean club or is it just for the ‘gram? (Hint: she’s actually very good!)
Paige Spiranac comes from a sporting family
Paige Spiranac says she had to decide between university and going pro. PH๏τo: @_paige.renee/Instagram© Provided by South China Morning Post
Paige’s dad Dan, meanwhile, was part of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football team and won the national university championship in 1976, states the source. British media reports that Paige’s older sister Lexie is a heptathlete and Taekwondo black belt.
She is a former professional golfer
Paige Spiranac was the top-ranked junior golfer in Colorado in her youth. PH๏τo: Paige Spiranac/Facebook© Provided by South China Morning Post
The 30-year-old is a former golf pro. According to the New York Post, Spiranac went pro for a year after playing at the University of Arizona and San Diego State.
“I was home-schooled. I practised every single day, morning until night. It was my only goal. I was a highly ranked junior golfer and then at 18 I had to make the decision to go to college or turn pro,” she said on her Playing a Round podcast earlier this year. According to Golfweek magazine, she was the top-ranked junior golfer in her home state of Colorado back in 2009.
Now, she works as a golf instructor, sharing her tips on her YouTube channel.
Spiranac, who has starred on the covers of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue and Golf Digest, exploded in popularity across social media when she started posting pH๏τos and videos of herself playing golf on different courses.
“I blew up on social media. I didn’t end up going back to be the ᴀssistant coach. I didn’t even finish my last semester of college. I never got my degree, which is something that’s so crazy and I’ve never talked about that. I was two credits short of getting my degree,” she said on her podcast.
She co-wrote a children’s book …
Paige Spiranac wrote a children’s book with her sister Lexie. PH๏τo: Paige Spiranac/Facebook© Provided by South China Morning Post
Spiranac released a children’s book, Hattie Goes Golfing, with her sister Lexie earlier this year, according to Golf Digest. Aimed at kids aged between three and nine years old, it hopes to provide inspiration for those looking to get into the golfing community.
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… and a wall calendar
Paige Spiranac has also launched a wall calendar for 2024. PH๏τo: @_paige.renee/Instagram© Provided by South China Morning Post
At the other end of the spectrum, Spiranac also launched a US$30 wall calendar for 2024 to celebrate “365 days of Paige”.
The influencer was previously married to an athletic trainer by the name of Steven Tinoco. “I wasn’t married for very long and I think that when I initially got divorced, I said I will never get married ever again,” she said on her Playing a Round podcast.
The former couple tied the knot back in 2018, after she “met him at the start of [her] career,” reports the New York Post, and it’s unclear when exactly they split. But her heart is still open for romance in the future. “I believe in love, marriage and soul mates. I believe in finding your person and all of that. I don’t think you should ever let a bad experience taint a good experience in your life,” she explained on her podcast.