Don't judge me by my clothes, says American golfer Paige Spiranac

Paige Spiranac

American golfer Paige Spiranac, 24, has slammed critics as sexist and revealed she received death threats and was blackmailed as she refused to be called a glamorous 'gimmick'. Spiranac, who has 1.2 million Instagram followers, believes she is treated unfairly for being a woman who dresses differently in a sport dominated by middle-aged men.

"I was harassed, my family was harassed. I was receiving death threats, people were invading my privacy, I was being blackmailed. This was going on whilst I was trying to play. When it comes to the golf industry, I know that people see me as a gimmick. I don't think I am that. If I was a guy and I had the same social following, I don't think people would call it a gimmick. They'd say it was great," she told The Guardian.

Spiranac added, "People seem to think I got where I am because of the clothes that I wear. That's unfair to me and unfair to all of my accomplishments. I probably do more community service than any other professional golfer."

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