There’s something about golf that pulls people in just as quickly as it pushes them away. One day, it feels like poetry in motion, and the next, it’s a cruel joke. Paige Spiranac has long shared her journey with the game and has never been one to shy away from discussing the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it. The emotional pendulum becomes part of the experience, and for Spiranac, the pendulum seems to be hitting harder than ever.

It was in November last year when Spiranac shared a post where she admitted to having ‘practiced hard’ for a long time, played some cool courses, and fallen ‘back in love with the game.’ She spoke with genuine excitement about how she had played more last year than she ever had before, and her game seemed to be getting better. The post expressed a kind of renewed appreciation for the sport, but she also admitted to having a ‘love-hate’ relationship with it. And like any golfer knows, the love for the game can be fragile and quick to turn sour.

And that’s exactly what happened with Spiranac a few hours ago. The 32-year-old seemed to have played a rollercoaster of a round of golf on Wednesday. She seemed to have started the round with 5 shanks, but went on to recover in the rest of the round. She took to X to express her feelings after the round, and the message captured a brutally honest moment of frustration. “I hate golf lol I went 8 over through 3 holes. Hit an impressive 5 shanks. Then proceeded to shoot 2 under for the next 15 holes,” Spiranac posted.

There seems to be a recent pattern of struggle in Spiranac’s golf game, as just a few days earlier, she expressed how she hit two shanks on the course. “I hit two cold hard shanks today. Not one but two. Special stuff,” she wrote, sarcastically reflecting on her round. But shanks aren’t the only thing bothering her game lately. She has even been hitting hooks off the tee, and so much so that it makes her want to quit the game. “I love golf but nothing makes me want to quit more than when I keep hitting hooks off the tee. It’s infuriating,” she posted just a few weeks ago when she confirmed her theory of playing better with fewer clothes on.

Her brutally honest moments of frustration wrapped in humor highlight that Spiranac’s romance with the game is being tested by the game’s unpredictable nature. Her latest setback underscores a truth every golfer eventually faces — that golf is a maddeningly humbling sport. But for Spiranac, this love-hate cycle has been part of a broader pattern, and her relationship with the game has changed over the last few years.

Paige Spiranac’s evolving relationship with golf

Paige Spiranac’s golf career began with high promise and early recognition. A standout junior and collegiate player, she first gained national attention during her time at San Diego State University, where she helped lead her team to a Mountain West Conference Championship in 2015. Known for her athleticism and powerful swing, Spiranac turned professional shortly after college and competed in a handful of events on smaller tours, including the Cactus Tour. While she achieved modest success, including a win on the Cactus Tour, her professional playing career was relatively short-lived. The intense pressure, scrutiny, and mental toll of competitive golf ultimately led her to step away from chasing a tour card full-time.

Rather than fade from the sport, Spiranac reinvented her role within it. Leveraging her growing social media presence and strong communication skills, she transitioned into a new phase of her career as a media personality and influencer. While she did continue to be in touch with the game, Spiranac did not play full-time. As she took to posting more instructional videos, she couldn’t find enough time to practice her game. She even expressed how her choice of clothes was often questioned, and it led her to a love-hate relationship with the game.

But being able to find the time last year, she expressed falling in love with it all over again. However, in expressing her recent frustrations with the game, Spiranac has now reminded her audience that passion doesn’t always protect you from golf’s unforgiving nature.