Paige Spiranac Responds to Critics of Her Signature Golf Style: ‘I’m an Athlete’

The golfer and SI Swimsuit model opened up about the negative comments she’s received in the past.

Paige Spiranac / Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Netflix

Paige Spiranac is swinging back at critics of her outfit choices—and she’s been perfecting her swing recently, so that was the critics’ first mistake.

The popular golf influencer and SI Swimsuit Legend chatted with PEOPLE this week while attending the premiere of the highly anticipated Netflix film Happy Gilmore 2—the upcoming sequel to the beloved 1996 Adam Sandler comedy—in which she has a cameo role. During the exclusive interview, she opened up to the magazine about the criticism she’s received over the years from some viewers regarding her choice of clothing for the golf course.

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Spiranac—who currently has 4 million loyal followers on Instagram—has previously noted that she believes she golfs better when she wears less, as she feels more physically free and comfortable. And her personal style on the greens reflects this, with her many outstanding outfits often consisting of flexible tank tops and fitted leggings or tennis skirts, speaking to her desire for comfort above all. Still, this seems to bother some viewers online who support stricter dress codes for the sport.

“I started wearing tank tops and leggings, and it just caused such an uproar of just people upset about no collar, and what I was wearing, and disrespecting the game, and also just exposing my body,” Spiranac told the outlet. “And I’m like: I’m an athlete, and I like what I wear. I feel very comfortable with what I wear.”

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The golfer then took this sentiment a step further, noting that she also doesn’t want her younger fans growing up feeling “insecure” about their bodies after seeing these types of comments, adding, “They should be proud of their body, especially with how much hard work they put into it when they're eating right and working out.”

“I just try to embrace who I am when I talk about that. My main message is always do what you want to do, wear what you want to wear,” Spiranic said. “And for me, that's wearing things that are a little bit more sexy, more form-fitting, but also just finding your own individual style.”

And that’s a message everyone can (and should!) get behind, as golfers looking to perfect their game could learn a thing or two from this SI Swimsuit Legend. Between her work with the Grass League and her new YouTube series, adorably named Slump Buster, the influencer and model provides many resources to help teach viewers pointers on how to perfect their swing and look good while doing so.

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