Paige Spiranac, former pro golfer turned social media powerhouse, has once again found herself in the middle of a firestorm—this time accused of using “sex appeal” to grow her brand and, by extension, the game of golf.
The controversy ignited after a viral blog post from a well-known golf commentator titled “Golf or Glamour? The Paige Spiranac Dilemma” called her online presence “a marketing machine powered more by cleavage than clubs.”
“She’s commodifying the game for likes,” the author wrote. “Golf is becoming background noise in her content.”
Spiranac’s followers, now over 4 million strong, were quick to push back, flooding comment sections and hashtags like #LetPaigePlay and #GrowTheGameHerWay in support.
The backlash didn’t stop there. Several former LPGA players weighed in, with some expressing concern that Spiranac’s style might overshadow the achievements of competitive female golfers who don’t have massive online followings.
But Spiranac, never one to shy away from controversy, responded with her trademark candor in a fiery Instagram story:
“Men have sold the game with sex appeal for decades—shirtless ads, flirty endorsements. But when a woman does it, it’s suddenly a scandal?”
She continued:
“I love golf. I work hard. I look the way I look—and I’m not going to apologize for any of it.”
Media outlets and sports panels are now debating whether Spiranac is a trailblazer breaking the mold—or a symptom of a sport losing its identity to social media sensationalism.
Regardless of where people stand, one thing is undeniable: Paige Spiranac is changing the conversation around golf—and everyone’s paying attention.
