How many times have you opened Scottie Scheffler’s, Tiger Woods’s, or Rory McIlroy’s social media and thought it didn’t tell you about their personal lives? How many times has that feeling of feeling close to your favorite golfers lingered? We have seen many golfers not share so much online, and Paige Spiranac has a reason. She also believes players deserve more sympathy for being away from the spotlight than we give them.

On the We Need a Fourth podcast, host Brian Baumgartner asked, “Do you think that the PGA Tour players are making a mistake by not giving more access to themselves?” Spiranac didn’t hesitate.

“They’re [LeBron James and Steph Curry] also so engaging on social media, and they just seem to be able to block out the noise, but I think the difference with golf is … it just mentally messes you up. And so I think having more of that outside noise really does impact your game and how you’re playing on a professional level,” she told Baumgartner.

Golf is heavily reliant on a player’s mental steadiness, and even the slightest distraction can throw players off balance. But that’s not all. Spiranac then dove into golf’s traditional culture. She explained that because “golf is stuffy” as a game, even sponsors are very concerned about their brand image. And that puts a strain on the players.

“I think a lot of players are scared to speak their mind or show personality because you’re going to get backlash from your more traditional conservative brands…” she added.

Anyone “who has a difference of opinion” gets scrutinized immediately or becomes a victim of online hate. And she used Rory McIlroy‘s example.

Earlier this year, he skipped post-round interviews at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, citing frustration and personal reasons. The media painted him as distant and closed off, but as Spiranac explained, being yourself in golf can quickly turn a player into a villain, especially when people don’t agree with you.

“But it’s just the community of golf and the environment that’s just bred from traditionalism and how conservative it is that I think a lot of players just kind of shy away from that,” Spiranac pointed out.

Another point with respect to the lack of social media activity might be that they need permission from the PGA Tour to post.

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Why PGA Tour Players Struggle with Social Media

Unlike athletes in other sports, who freely use social media to build personal brands and connect with fans, PGA Tour players operate under tight restrictions. The Tour controls their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), meaning golfers essentially need permission every time they want to post a video on Instagram or YouTube. This basically suppresses fan engagement and limits players’ ability to grow their own profiles, keeping them largely invisible to younger audiences, who mostly consume content online.

Even with initiatives like the Players’ Impact Program (PIP), which is now discontinued, players lacked media rights. The reason why it was created in the first place was to increase player reach, but with the tour controlling players’ media rights, it was going in the opposite direction.  Without the ability to create and share their own content, golfers remain disconnected from the fans and the growth opportunities that social media offers.

The PGA Tour has started making small adjustments, quietly updating media guidelines since the Player Equity Program came into effect, to allow some content to be posted from practice rounds and pro-ams. But still, for most of it, the players require Tour approval. This, coupled with the game’s traditionalism, is the main reason golfers struggle to connect with fans and build their personal brands.