Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has the most success and largest following on social media, even though she doesn’t play on the pro tour.
However, her success has garnered a lot of attention online. Specifically, how she presents herself on social media is under intense scrutiny when promoting the sport she loves.
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Paige Spiranac waves to the crowd after throwing out the first pitch before the Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers game at American Family Field in Milwaukee on June 16, 2023. (Jeff Hanish-USA TODAY Sports)
During a Q&A on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Spiranac was asked about the “hate” she receives online and how she deals with it.
“I think I’ve just become desensitized to it because I’ve been doing it for so long. Even when people try to say mean things to me, I don’t feel that mean.” she said. . “I think it’s mostly interesting.”
Spiranac said she felt many people had “warmed up” to her over the years, explaining that it was easier to start from a position where people were mean to her than to come out loved.
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Paige Spiranac watches her shot go to the second green during the 2023 Kaulig Companies Championship Pro-Am at Firestone Country Club on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Akron, Ohio. (Jeff Lang/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“And I was really hated when I started this job, but as the year went on, people started to like me more and more. So it actually got a lot easier.” she said. “I’ve seen people come online and they were loved from the beginning, but then something happens and they have to deal with hate for the first time, and it’s much harder for them.
“It’s much easier to be hated and then slowly get someone to like you over time, than to deal with hate only after you’ve been loved. It’s far more damaging to your mental health.” .Well, I guess I was lucky, but after all these years, people started to hate me less and less.”
She also spoke briefly about how she first became a celebrity.
Paige Spiranac watches her teammate putt from the sixth green during the 2023 Kaulig Companies Championship Pro-Am at Firestone Country Club on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Akron, Ohio. (Jeff Lang/USA TODAY NETWORK)
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“Whether or not it’s actually about golf is a big debate,” Spiranac began. “But how it all started was crazy. I was in college. Someone wrote an article about me. That article eventually went viral. I went from 500 followers to 500 followers overnight. We grew to 100,000 followers and the rest is history.”
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