LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Paige Spiranac, a golf influencer with a staggering Instagram following of 3.7 million, candidly shared the profound influence professional golf has had on her well-being. Recently, after turning 30, Spiranac reflected on a pivotal moment in her life when she made the difficult decision to step away from golf after just one year into her career.
Having played golf during her time at the University of Arizona and San Diego State University, she ultimately shifted gears redirecting her path toward social media, where she has successfully built a remarkable fanbase of over three million devoted followers. During a heartfelt discussion, Spiranac shed light on a particular regret she carries from her professional career.
'It was a dream of mine'
Spiranac's greatest regret revolves around her decision not to pursue a career on the LPGA Tour, a dream she had cherished and aspired to achieve. Reflecting on her choices, she noted, "If I had the choice to be doing what I’m doing to play on the LPGA Tour, I would probably pick the LPGA Tour because that was just a goal that I’ve always wanted to achieve, and it was a dream of mine," to the Mirror.
But Spiranac diverted her focus to building her social media empire as a golf influencer instead. Recounting her journey, she revealed the turning point that upended her life, saying, "I was playing really well, and then my whole life flipped upside down. I blew up on social media. I didn’t even finish my last semester of college. I never got my degree, which is something that’s so crazy, and I’ve never talked about that. I was two credits short of getting my degree."
'I was just mentally exhausted'
Following her time in Dubai, Spiranac's popularity soared, but along with it came an influx of negative comments and discouraging remarks urging her to quit. The cumulative effect of these pressures eventually led her to reach a breaking point. She said, “I then got the invite to go play in Dubai. I blew up there. I did one year of playing golf professionally, and I was just mentally exhausted."
Spiranac faced numerous setbacks and discouragement from those around her, leading her to abandon her professional golfing aspirations due to financial struggles and mental exhaustion. Despite not achieving her goal of playing on the LPGA Tour, she is content with her current career as a social media golf influencer. Her story highlights the immense pressure and challenges that come with pursuing a professional career in sports, emphasizing the importance of recognizing that success is not guaranteed and sometimes necessitates reevaluating and redirecting the path you take in life. In Spiranac's case, she prioritized her mental health and has boosted her income even after quitting professional golf.
While Spiranac is known for sharing her life openly with her Instagram followers, not every aspect of her story is as perfect as it may appear through social media filters. In an episode of her podcast 'Playing A Round' the 30-year-old golfer has posed a question about mental challenges in the sport. This prompted her to candidly discuss her past struggles. “I have seen more sports psychologists than you will ever know. I have tried everything and anything,” Spiranac revealed, referencing a previous YouTube video where she had briefly touched upon this topic.
