You Might’ve Missed Paige Spiranac’s First SI Swimsuit Shoot—But It Was Iconic

Before she was an SI Swimsuit Legend, Spiranac posed on the beach in Aruba in 2018.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by Beach Bunny Swimwear. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

With 5.6 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, Paige Spiranac is one of the biggest and best golf influencers on the internet. A former golf pro, the Colorado native decided to pursue content creation and modeling full-time nearly a decade ago after going viral online. In the years since, she’s made an undeniable impact on social media and continues to grow her followers with every new post.

You might be a big fan of hers now, but were you following Spiranac when she made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2018? See one of our favorite photos from the shoot below and keep scrolling for more.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by HAUS OF PINKLEMONAID. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Posing on the beach of beautiful Aruba, Spiranac was totally breathtaking in all-black swimsuits. Captured by photographer James Macari, the now-32-year-old showed off her stunning blue eyes, gorgeous features and toned and tanned figure.

Soon into her professional golf career after playing D1 in college, Spiranac realized she was ready for something new—she just didn’t know what. After discussing with her parents about what her next chapter might be, something happened that would change her life forever. She was featured on the website Total Frat Move and her follower count began to grow.

See more of her jaw-dropping photos from her debut SI Swimsuit shoot and learn more about her story below.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by BFYNE. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

“I was playing really well and then my whole life flipped upside down,” Spiranac recalled to the New York Post. “I blew up on social media. I didn’t end up going back to be the assistant coach. 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.”

Since going viral, Spiranac has been offered awesome media opportunities, from sponsored content and collaborations to sports events and even hosting gigs. On social media, she continues to share expert golf tips with her followers who are just getting started in the sport, and she serves major activewear inspo while doing so.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by Beach Bunny Swimwear. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Whether she’s revealing the “unspoken rules of golf etiquette” or flaunting her fitness journey while rocking the cutest jumpsuits and sets, we can always count on Spiranac to share buzz-worthy posts across social media. Though she initially felt “alone” with “low self-esteem” when she first decided to pursue internet influencing, she’s since found her confidence and inspires other women to do the same.

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by AreYouAmI. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

For Spiranac, her SI Swimsuit debut was “one of the most important shoots in [her] life” and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I was going through a really hard time where I was still kind of new in social media and [was] transitioning from playing golf professionally to doing media full-time,” she shared. “[I] was dealing with a ton of other personal issues, and I just felt very stuck.”

“Doing that shoot was incredibly empowering,” she added. “Having MJ [Day, SI Swimsuit editor in chief] there to talk me through it the entire time and build me up, I’ve never been in an environment where I’ve had so many women empower me and lift me up, which is something that we preach all the time, but you don’t really see it in real life.”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by Po Swim by Ava Frati. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

In 2024, Spiranac returned to the fold for a special “Legends” feature in honor of the magazine’s 60th anniversary. Posing alongside 26 other brand icons who have shaped the issue into what it is today, she looked as beautiful and confident as ever.

“Being an SI Swimsuit Legend is an incredible honor,” she said while on set last year. “It has been a catalyst in changing who I am as a person and how I’ve progressed in my career. The support from SI and the impact it has had is indescribable.”

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Swimsuit by Po Swim by Ava Frati. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Today, Spiranac is thriving as a successful content creator and model. And she’ll even be able to add “actress” to her résumé, with an appearance in the highly anticipated sequel to Happy Gilmore, coming to Netflix in July.

“I try to separate my job from who I am as a person,” she told SI Swimsuit earlier this year. “It’s hard to do that at times because I am the brand, so it’s easy to take criticism personally, but being able to separate what I do from who I am has changed my life in a positive way.”