The truth about Paige Spiranac, the golfer

Paige Spiranac’s is one of the most recognizable faces in the world of golf. As of March 2023, Spiranac had more than 11 million followers across all social media (according to Golf Digest), nearly four million of them on Instagram. No golf personality comes close to this figure, not even Legend Tiger Woods.

As everyone knows, the content Paige Spiranac works with is almost exclusively associated with golf. What many don’t know (and others openly question) is that Spiranac has actually mastered golf. And not just the fundamentals, the fitness influencer is an accomplished golfer.

Paige Spiranac’s Golf Career

Those who look without seeing (as Atahualpa Yupanqui would have put it) see the lush blonde strolling the golf courses in provocative clothes. Even the fact that Bryson DeChambeau recently expressed “how good she is” in golf, is probably seen as just another part of the script. “It’s something he has to say,” skeptics might think.

You can believe it or not believe it, but Paige Spiranac had a career in golf, and a very outstanding one up to the level she got to. But let’s go to the origins.

The origins of the golfer

Paige Spiranac didn’t take up golf as her first sport. In fact, until the age of 12 she saw herself as a gymnast who would represent the United States in the Olympics. So invested was she in achieving that goal, she began being homeschooled and trained six days a week.

However, a fracture in her kneecap jeopardized her gymnastics career, and a second fracture in the same kneecap put an end to it altogether. At the time, Paige Spiranac saw no future for herself other than being a professional athlete, which led her to golf.

According to Spiranac herself (via Golf Digest) she fell in love with golf with the first swing. All the potential she had shown for gymnastics, she poured into golf. She was 13 by then, a little late for most players, but not for her.

By 2010, Paige Spiranac had won five Colorado Tour tournaments, she was in the Top 20 in the world amateur rankings, had twice been named West Region Player of the Year, and first-team All-American as a Future Collegians World Tour member. Her junior career was capped by a scholarship to play golf at the University of Arizona.

The collegiate golfer

Spiranac played just one season for the Wildcats (2011-2012). She played in three tournaments with a career-best 18-hole low score of 73. The following year, she transferred to San Diego State University, where she would play much more.

In her first season with the San Diego State Aztecs, Spiranac posted 5 Top 25s, including two Top 6s. Her best finish was a fifth place at the Cal Classic, although she had another outstanding result at the NCAA Cebtral Regional Championship, where she tied for 19th. Her stroke average was 76.25 (ranked 13th in the conference) and she was named to the first-team all-Mountain West Conference.

The following season would be Spiranac’s last in collegiate golf. She won the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown team tournament with the Aztecs and posted three Top 20 finishes in singles. Her best finish was T10 at the MW Championship. Her stroke average was 76.41 (ranked 14th in the conference) and was named All-Mountain West Conference for the second consecutive year.

Paige Spiranac in professional golf

The fitness influencer pursued a career in professional golf, albeit for a relatively short time. It’s fair to say that by that time (2015 – 2016) Spiranac was already an Instagram star contributing to Golf Digest and other media outlets.

Spiranac made a few appearances on the Catus Tour, a developmental circuit at Southweast in the United States. There she even won a tournament, defeating the then top ranked amateur golfer in the world in a playoff.

Spiranac also played three Ladies European Tour tournaments and made the cut at the 2016 Women’s Scottish Open (finished T58). That same year she sought to earn her LPGA Tour card, but was unable to. Months later she gave up professional golf and began the modeling and social media influencer career for which she is recognized worldwide.