Rory McIlroy may have banked a stunning $4.2million Sunday thanks to his thrilling Masters win but when it comes to social media, he’s got nothing on Paige Spiranac.
The freshly-crowned five-time major winner just held off the likes of Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler last week to claim his elusive first Masters title and seal a long-awaited Grand Slam.
And, he also bests his rivals on social media, taking home the title as top Instagram earner.
The 35-year-old, who boasts 3,262,549 followers on the platform, reportedly pockets $8,647 per post, according to data from RotoGrinders.com.
That’s over $1,500 more than closest rival DeChambeau, while Scheffler, despite being world No 1, trails by a staggering $5,000.
Yet, McIlroy still can’t compete with golf social media sensation Spiranac or her mini-me Grace Charis.
Rory McIlroy banked $4.2million thanks to his Masters victory at the weekend
But the Northern Irishman can’t compete with the social media popularity of Paige Spiranac
Spiranac and fellow influencer Grace Charis both earn more per Instagram post than McIlroy
Spiranac may have failed to make it as a professional golfer, but quitting the sport has turned out to be an extremely profitable career move for golf’s glamour girl.
By posting sultry photos in tiny golf outfits or bikinis and doing occasional trick shots, Spiranac has built an extremely successful business model.
She has garnered the most followers in the golfing world with four million, beating even Tiger Woods, who pocketed $10million for finishing top of the PGA Tour’s PIP, a venture designed to reward players with the biggest social media following, last year.
And thanks to her army of followers, the 32-year-old is said to make as much as $10,698 per post. That’s three times more than Justin Rose.
The Englishman finished second to McIlroy at Augusta National Sunday, agonizingly missing out on the Green Jacket in a playoff for the second time in his career.
Yet, the world No 12 has failed to break one million followers on Instagram, sitting fourth behind the trio of big names with 792,620. That means he’s generating just $3,150 from one post.
Meanwhile, former college golfer Spiranac is also pocketing over double the amount of Scheffler ($3,707) and triple the average professional ($3,056).
Spiranac is one of the most polarizing figures in the sport but it’s undeniable that the American has made her mark, taking social media by storm in her tiny, tight-fit skirts and low-cut tops.
Like her or loathe her, Spiranac has paved the way for a new generation of golf influencers, including Charis.
Bryson DeChambeau pockets around $7,080 per post – just over $1,500 less than McIlroy
Spiranac makes triple the amount Master runner up Justin Rose (L) does from a post
Charis was relatively late to the golf/social-media scene in comparison to Spiranac, but she now boasts just under four million followers on Instagram.
Yet, while her sultry and revealing poses are reminiscent of Spiranac’s racy snaps, Charis’s journey to social media stardom is a stark contrast to the former pro.
Unlike Spiranac, who played Division 1 college golf at both the University of Arizona and San Diego State and even tried to break onto the LPGA, Charis never intended to be a golfer.
Yet, she’s now making almost $10,000 per post as a golf content creator – over $1,000 more than McIlroy and more than $2,000 more than DeChambeau ($7,080).
What’s more, according to the data, the average golf influencer can charge around $4,280 for one post, compared to the $3,056 for a professional golfer.
The other influencers included Hailey Rae Ostrom ($3,682), Garrett Clark ($2,079) and Rick Shiels ($3,330), while the pros boasted some of the biggest names in golf such as Xander Schauffele ($2,002) and Ludvig Aberg ($1,686).
Charis and Spiranac are spearheading a new age of golf glamour, joining the likes of Clark, Shiels and Grant Horvat as they entertain the masses across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Away from Instagram, Horvat has used YouTube to generate a wild popularity with his most-watched video amassing 4.8m views.
By posting sultry photos in tiny golf outfits, Spiranac has built an successful business model
Charis is newer to the influencing game but has already garnered almost four million followers
He has amassed 1.12m subscribers by taking on challenges and playing some of the world’s finest courses – with both friends and golf’s biggest names.
Tiger Woods, DeChambeau, and McIlroy are among those to have appeared on Horvat’s channel in recent months. He has faced Bills quarterback Josh Allen and tried on Jon Rahm’s Green Jacket. Phil Mickelson is his partner in 2v2 matches.
Meanwhile, DeChambeau himself has turned to content creation, bagging Tom Brady, Michael Stafford and even President Donald Trump as guests in his ‘Break 50’ series.
Yet when it comes to competing with the sultry snaps of Charis and Spiranac, even the LIV Golf star and his hybrid YouTuber/golfer role can’t keep up.
