Paige Spiranac set for new chapter at Dubai Ladies Masters

Joy Chakravarty 09:28 25/11/2015
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  • Paige Spiranac will face the likes of defending champion Shanshan Feng next month.

    Paige Spiranac, the well-known American internet golf sensation, will spearhead a new crop of social media-savvy players aiming to take the fairways by storm when she makes her maiden appearance in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters next month.

    With more than 454,000 followers on Instagram and 483,000 on Twitter, Spiranac makes regular appearances on TV shows and is an established name in the US.

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    The 22-year-old’s game is trending in the right direction, having been part of the San Diego University team that won the 2015 Mountain West Conference Golf Championship and winning the Colorado State Match Play recently.

    With her confidence on a high, Spiranac promises to light up the tournament with her flair, exuberance and a classical swing when she joins a star-studded field led by defending champion Shanshan Feng.

    The daughter of Dan Spiranac, who was a member of the 1976 Pittsburgh National Championship football team, Spiranac took to golf after a vaulting accident cut short her gymnastics career when she was just 12.

    Gymnastics’ loss is a big gain for women’s golf’s as Spiranac has set her sights on the LPGA Tour. It remains to be seen how far she gets in her ambition of becoming the best female golfer in the world, but her good looks, love of fashion and social networking skills have already made her popular with the fans. 

    “I am very excited about making my first trip to Dubai and it will be fun playing in a tournament that always boasts a strong field with some of the top players from both sides of the Atlantic joining the starting line-up,” said Spiranac. 

    “I have heard many great things about Dubai as a city, but also about the golf there, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it for myself. I am grateful to golf in DUBAi for believing in me. Their invitation to play in the tournament has set my dreams on fire.

    “I have great respect for players on the Ladies European Tour (LET), and competing alongside them will be a big learning curve. I am sure it will be a great week.”

    Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, who are the promoters and organisers of the event, said: “Paige is like a breath of fresh air and one who has all the attributes to become a strong ambassador for the future of women’s golf.

    “She belongs to a new breed of golfers who are fun-loving and proactive on social media, bringing a vibrant atmosphere to the course, which is great.

    “As the great Greg Norman said the other day, in this digital age, the game must open up to ‘savvy, social media types’ to attract new talent to the sport. I am on the same page as the Great White Shark as, I believe, it will just be a sign of the times in an ever-changing world.”

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