Paige Spiranac hits back at critics

• Paige Spiranac hits back at critics in wide-ranging interview
• The 23-year-old is featured in Issue 150 of bunkered
• “I’ve read a lot of stuff about me that’s not true,” she said

Paige Spiranac has hit back at critics who have dismissed her as a ‘wannabe’ who would rather be famous than a successful golfer.

The 23-year-old American sat down with bunkered’s Michael McEwan during her visit to Scotland for the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open earlier in the summer.

“Golf’s hard enough without having thousands of people telling you to quit” – Paige Spiranac

In a wide-ranging interview, she revealed how the negative attention she has received since turning professional last year – particularly following her pro debut in the Dubai Ladies’ Masters last December – made her seriously consider giving up golf.

“I’ve read a lot of stuff about me on social media that’s not true,” said Paige Spiranac. “But I’ve come to realise that there’s not a lot I can do about that.

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Great to meet @PaigeSpiranac at @DundonaldLinks today. Read our chat in an upcoming edition of @BunkeredOnline. pic.twitter.com/aTCryfDY1Z

— Michael McEwan (@MMcEwanBunkered) July 20, 2016

“I didn’t expect my participation to cause so much controversy, so it was hard to sit and either listen to or read people saying some not very nice things about me. Golf’s hard enough without having thousands of people telling you to quit. It really shook my confidence.”

With a following of over one million people across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, Spiranac has earned the reputation of being golf’s ‘Selfie Queen’. That has also prompted some disapproving glances in her direction but, again, she insists that she’s doing nothing wrong.

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“I’ve heard a lot of people say that I show a lot of skin or whatever but, for someone my age, I actually think I keep it pretty tame,” she added. “There are a lot of other people out – fitness models and so on – who post pictures of themselves in their underwear. Nothing wrong with that but it’s just not something I choose to do.

“I guess I had the notoriety without the results” – Paige Spiranac

“When I first turned pro, I think a lot of people thought I was going to be so much better than I was because of my social media profile. They see somebody posting lots of pictures, getting into the public eye, attracting a following and they assume I’m going to be a great player.

“I guess I had the notoriety without the results but golf’s a game where you lose more than you win. It’s a cliché but it’s true. It just doesn’t make it any easier to stand in front of a lot of people and have them watch you fail.”

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Paige Spiranac :: Read the full interview

Read the full interview with Paige Spiranac in issue 150 of bunkered, on-sale from Friday, September 16, from all good newsagents.