Paige Spiranac talks ‘sexual favors’ rumors at start of golf career

Spiranac has one of the biggest social media followings in sports

Paige Spiranac is one of the biggest influencers in sports on social media, building a following of more than 4 million on Instagram and another 1.6 million on TikTok.

As Spiranac grew in popularity from playing collegiate golf to taking a different route in the sports industry, she faced some vile rumors about how she was able to get ahead.

Paige Spiranac at an SI event

Paige Spiranac attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Release and 60th Anniversary Celebration on May 16, 2024, in New York City. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)

She revealed on an episode of the “Quiet Please!” podcast earlier this month that she just “wanted to be liked” when she made an appearance at a 2015 golf tournament in Dubai.

“There were constant comments like ‘I did sexual favors to get this invite,’ and I was listening to it – and they would say [it] within earshots of me,” Spiranac revealed. “It was tough.”

Spiranac added that her popularity was a result of “going viral” but she wasn’t prepared for everything that came with it.

Paige Spiranac in July 2023

Paige Spiranac watches her teammates putt during the Kaulig Companies Championship Pro-Am at Firestone Country Club, July 12, 2023, in Akron, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/USA Today Network)

“I ended up going viral and this was back when people weren’t going viral all the time and I didn’t know how to handle it and my whole life got flipped upside down. I went from having 500 followers to 100,000 followers,” Spiranac said, via People magazine. “I show up and was doing hours of press, which I wasn’t prepared for.

“I had no training to do this. And I would say there were a couple of girls who were really supportive and who were nice, but the majority [of them], it was brutal. I would go on the range and girls would just scatter. No one wanted to hit next to me.”

Paige Spiranac at SI party in Florida

Paige Spiranac attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Celebration on May 18, 2024, in Hollywood, Florida. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)