Golf’s “OG Insta golf girl” Paige Spiranac is once again caught up in social media controversy. This time, it stems from Spiranac’s well-intentioned Instagram video over the weekend that took a surprising turn.
In the post, the golf influencer invited fans to ask her questions as she aimed to provide entertainment and advice. What began innocently though soon was flooded with repeated requests for Spiranac to showcase golf grip and swing techniques “while wearing very little clothing”.
While the athlete-turned-model took the comments lightheartedly, laughing them off in her typical humorous fashion, many fans and women’s groups found them demeaning and objectifying.
“It’s disappointing that people still only see Paige as an object for their wish fulfillment,” asserts Martha Burks of the Women’s Golf Initiative. “She has valuable knowledge to share but gets reduced to being eye candy in skimpy outfits.”
With over 3.7 million Instagram followers, Spiranac’s social presence and impact cannot be understated. The backlash against her most recent post highlights the line between fun content creation and encouraging the sexualization many female athletes and influencers still face in 2024.
As Spiranac straddles both sides – the professional golfer and the social media personality – this latest incident further calls into question whether she bears some responsibility for the requests and commentary her posts invite.
