Golf influencer Grace Charis breaks silence on rivalry with Paige Spiranac and reveals new career move
GRACE CHARIS came out swinging as she finally spoke out on fellow golf influencer Paige Spiranac.
And far from being green with envy, Charis bunkered her ‘rival’ with some of her claims.
The two golfers have massive followings on Instagram, both mixing glamorous snaps with playing tips.
Spiranac tops the rankings online, with 4million admirers on Instagram alone.
But Charis has been closing fast, even tagging her profile with “Your favorite golf girl :)”
And last June she sent her credentials soaring by eagerly posting a video of her “first hole in one ever!!!”
Spiranac has the edge on handicaps, with a rating of +3.4 compared to +5 for her American compatriot
Now Charis has had her say on how the pair match up – at least in the eyes of fans.
She told the Mail: “I get compared to her a lot, but I don’t know much of her stuff.
“It doesn’t come up on my feed, either. So I don’t know too much about what she does, but she seems nice.”
Less kind fans might reckon that was a gentle barb at Spiranac, who last week celebrated her cameo role in a trailer for the new Happy Gilmore 2 movie.
But Charis added: “She seems like she’s a good golfer, too.
“I think that’s good for everybody, to be good at the sport and promote the sport. It’s kind of the goal.”
However, YouTube golfers like Charis and Spiranac have a mixed reputation with some players.
Northern Irish legend Rory McIlroy called them “entertainment adjacent” – implying some social media stars distract from the real game.
But Spiranac has hit back at such suggestions, also criticising what she reckons is a stuffy attitude to her outfits and fun attitude.
And Charis is close to believing any publicity is good publicity.
She said: “Sometimes people aren’t there for the golf game and they’re there just because I’m a pretty face or something.
“But they’re still getting exposed to the game.
“I think at the end of the day, no matter what, the game of golf is still getting pushed, which is kind of what I want to share with people – my love for the game.”
And in fact she is keen to switch her emphasis from cheekier posts to more coaching-based videos.