Swimsuit

Paige Spiranac Pushes for Acceptance of Casual Athleisure on the Golf Course

The influencer and one-time SI Swimsuit model opened up about the fashion aspect of her sport.

Cara O’Bleness

Paige Spiranac

Paige Spiranac.

Anyone who is a fan of Paige Spiranac knows that the golf instructor enjoys hitting the links in casual athleisure, from cute and sporty dresses to tiny mini skirts paired with crop tops. What some people may not be aware of, however, is that Spiranac’s laid-back golf looks stem from her days as a gymnast.

The one-time SI Swimsuit model recently sat down with Sports Illustrated for a quick interview at the New York Stock Exchange, where she revealed the origins of her (sometimes controversial) wardrobe styling.

“I was a gymnast before I switched into golf, and so I was so comfortable wearing spandex and very little of it because that’s just what you wear when you’re wearing a leotard and you’re competing,” Spiranac explained. “And so when I switched into golf, we were struggling a little bit financially and so I didn’t have the luxury to go out and buy a whole new golf-appropriate wardrobe, and so I wore what was in my closet, which was workout clothes.”

She further shared her stance that golfers are athletes and should be allowed to dress for comfort. On a similar note, last month Spiranac took to social media platform X to offer her thoughts on how unfair it is that men are not allowed to wear shorts on the golf course during professional tournaments.

The golf influencer noted that while her outfits can sometimes rub people the wrong way, she thinks that it’s facilitating a needed conversation in order to create change in the sport.

“I think we’re starting to see that change and fashion is such a big part of growing the game, and it’s moving in the right direction,” she stated.

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.