Paige Spiranac’s SI Swimsuit Feature in Aruba Is the Best Gift of the Holiday Season

We’re taking a look back at the professional golfer’s brand debut, which took place in 2018.

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

When she first posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue, Paige Spiranac traveled to Aruba, where she was photographed by James Macari. The 32-year-old content creator and golf instructor absolutely nailed her poses while on location, and her 2018 photo shoot with the brand came at a pivotal moment in her life. At the time, Spiranac was shifting away from professional golf and leaning into content creation, and was using her platform to bring awareness to cyberbullying.

“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,” Spiranac told SI Swimsuit in 2023 while reflecting upon her brand debut. “[I] was dealing with a ton of other personal issues, and I just felt very stuck.”

You’d never know by looking at the striking images from Spiranac’s SI Swimsuit debut that she was anything but confident in front of the lens. The model rocked all black swimwear while in Aruba, and while the shoot took place seven years ago, so many of the strappy bikinis and one-pieces she sported on set are just as fashionable today as they were back then. And while she was experiencing hardship during the time, Spiranac noted that her time on the SI Swimsuit set was “incredibly empowering,” adding that it was “one of the most important shoots in my life.”

“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,” she added.

In 2024, the Colorado native returned to the fold when she was named an SI Swimsuit legend. Spiranac posed for the magazine’s 60th anniversary issue in Hollywood, Fla., where she posed for Yu Tsai alongside 26 other brand stalwarts. Instead of swimwear, that year’s photo shoot featured luxurious eveningwear, including Spiranac’s champagne colored dress by Maria Lucia Hohan.

“There have been so many times in my career where I should have quit, given up, or done something a little bit different because everyone was telling me what I should and shouldn’t do,” she told SI Swimsuit while on set in the Sunshine State. “I always listened to myself and my inner voice on what felt right to me.”

In honor of her continued success and legendary SI Swimsuit model status, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite snaps of Spiranac from the 2018 magazine. As you can see, they are truly the holiday gift that keeps on giving.

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

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Top by Only Hearts. Swimsuit by Luli Fama. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Paige Spiranac was photographed by James Macari in Aruba. Top by Divamp. Swimsuit by SLATE SWIM. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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

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