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A few years ago, Instagram sensation and former golfer Paige Spiranac made headlines when she called out ESPN's Sarah Spain for her derogatory comments about the former's appearance on Golf Digest.
Spiranac, who made Golf Digest's cover that year, faced a lot of criticism and comments from online trolls because of her nature of dressing.
Though Paige Spiranac is no stranger to these kinds of online comments, fans and followers of Sarah Spain were shocked by her appalling comment. Spain, who was known for her positive stance on female sportspeople, said:
"I don’t give many props to Golf Digest but I’ll give them props on finding a way to make it seem like it made sense to have this total nobody on their cover."
This led to widespread controversy on Twitter and other social media platforms. Paige hit back at the popular commentator on Barstool Radio in 2017, defending her stance and calling out the commentator for saying things that bothered her.
What did Paige Spiranac say about ESPN commentator Sarah Spain?
Sarah Spain's remarks were met with a lot of negative feedback from many followers. But Paige, who has always been a vocal defender of her stylistic and life choices, spoke on Barstool radio, saying:
"Plenty of women kind of attack me and I pulled up something that's actually pretty interesting. It was Sarah Spain and she said on the Golf Digest cover that I got, that I only got it because I take my clothes off on Instagram. So it's kind of funny that she's all for women and yet she turns around and says something about me. And I feel like I do a lot for golf that people don't talk about."
Sarah Spain soon came out with a reply of her own, claiming that her beef was with Golf Digest for putting a woman on the cover based only on her looks and ignoring her achievements in the past. She has also claimed to have defended Paige Spiranac.
The verbal conflict was never fully resolved, but Paige Spiranac later posted a tweet apparently showing the derogatory comments that Spain made about the former golfer.
The comment section of this tweet is filled with fellow supporters of Paige who have ardently stood by her in her quest to promote body positivity and acceptance in sports. Speaking about the various controversies surrounding her dressing choices, Spiranac said:
"I totally understand why the girls on the LPGA don’t like me. There are so many women athletes who need to get more recognition...I would like to use my platform to amplify them. If we worked together, it would be better to bring a bigger spotlight to the sport."
Speaking about her rise as a golfer on Instagram first, Paige Spiranac commented:
"I have been a bit conflicted on it, to be honest. When I started my pro career, I didn’t have any financial backing so I needed to leverage my social media. I started out with good intentions...Then the Insta-golf girl morphed into something I wasn’t really proud of, where girls who aren’t into golf started posing to get followers."
The retired golfer is now a social media influencer and part of her job includes putting up photos. Paige Spiranac continues to battle online trolls while defending her stance.
