Paige Spiranac Addresses ‘Sexual Favors’ Rumors from Early in Golf Profession

Paige Spiranac is addressing rumors that emerged throughout her first skilled golf event in 2015 — calling the expertise the “worst second of my life.”

Talking with Mel Reid and Kira Dixon on the March 19 episode of their Quiet Please! podcast, the 32-year-old recalled enjoying within the 2015 Dubai Girls Masters and the following rumors that she had allegedly carried out “sexual favors” to get an invitation to the event.

On the time, Spiranac was additionally an influencer on social media, one thing that mentioned different feminine golfers judged her for. She informed Reid, who’s a present LGPA golfer, and Dixon, a golf persona, that she was not prepared for the media frenzy.

“I ended up going viral and this was again when folks weren’t going viral on a regular basis and I didn’t know how you can deal with it and my entire life received flipped the other way up. I went from having 500 followers to 100,000 followers,” she mentioned on the podcast.

“I present up and was doing hours of press, which I wasn’t ready for. I had no coaching to do that. And I might say there have been a few ladies who had been actually supportive and who had been good, however the majority [of them], it was brutal. I might go on the vary and ladies would simply scatter. Nobody wished to hit subsequent to me,” the self-proclaimed “OG Insta Golf Woman” added.

“There have been fixed feedback like ‘I did sexual favors to get this invite,’ and I used to be listening to it — and they might say [it] inside earshots of me. It was robust,” she continued.

She mentioned within the interview that the stress is probably going what led to her lower than favorable sport play. “It was my first professional occasion, it was actually tough. I simply wished to be favored and I performed so unhealthy. It was horrendous,” she admitted.

Spiranac mentioned that she understands why her model offers and influencer standing may need “ruffled feathers” among the many golf group.

“You’re employed your a– off, week in and week out, and right here comes me and I simply stroll on in,” the mannequin mentioned.

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This is not the primary time Spiranac has addressed the 2015 Dubai Girls Masters and the way the fixed rumors affected her psychological well being.

In 2018, when she modeled for a swimsuit difficulty, she informed Sports activities Illustrated that feedback about her look and golf expertise led to her ending up on the lavatory flooring earlier than the event.

“I used to be sitting within the toilet simply balling and was like ‘I don’t need to undergo this ache, this really feel of helplessness. Being alone. Scared.’ And I mentioned I by no means wished anybody to really feel the way in which I felt in that second. How scared I used to be. How helpless I felt in that I used to be bullied so unhealthy to the purpose that I didn’t need to reside anymore,” she mentioned on the time.

Spiranac is now an envoy for The Cybersmile Basis, which raises consciousness concerning the results of cyberbullying.

In the event you or somebody you recognize wants psychological well being assist, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741-741 to be linked to a licensed disaster counselor.

In the event you or somebody you recognize is contemplating suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Disaster Lifeline by dialing 988, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.