Former professional golfer turned influencer Paige Spiranac has shared a story about the time she was given a chipping lesson by Tiger Woods – and she was left with an interesting souvenir
Paige Spiranac shared her story about meeting Tiger Woods(Image: Getty)
Paige Spiranac admits she held off on laundering her jacket following a hug from Tiger Woods because he smelled like “success” and called their encounter the “greatest experience of my life”.
Social media starlet and former pro golfer Paige Spiranac, who nailed the predictions for the first two major golf winners of 2025 and called for the PGA Tour to change the “dumbest” rule, shared one of her life’s standout moments starring Tiger Woods and his scent. In a a recent interview, Spiranac opened up about a deeply impactful encounter with the golf legend, serving up a juicy anecdote for her fans.
While details about when and where their paths crossed are unclear, it’s obvious the episode made a lasting mark on the 32-year-old influencer, who now enjoys a staggering Instagram following that even eclipses Woods’.
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“He gave me a chipping lesson once. It was like the greatest experience of my life,” Spiranac revealed on the ‘Vanity Index’ podcast. “He smells so good, by the way… like that was the first thing I noticed.”
The significance of the exchange transcended golf tips; it touched on the essence of being next to Woods. Known for melding golf analysis with personable lifestyle segments, Spiranac couldn’t resist sharing how the encounter’s closeness impacted her.
“I remember he hugged me, and he smelled so good, and I didn’t take my jacket off or wash it for an embarrassingly long time because I was like, ‘I feel and smell like a winner,'” she confessed.
Spiranac has emerged as a standout figure in golf media, despite never swinging a club on the LPGA Tour. The former Division I golfer from the University of Arizona and San Diego State made a brief foray into professional play via the Cactus Tour before pivoting to a career in media.
Tiger Woods ‘smelled like success’, according to Paige Spiranac(Image: (Image: Getty))
Her candid and stylish persona has successfully merged the worlds of golf and pop culture, earning her a massive online following. While some might question her lighthearted approach, Spiranac has consistently been a vocal champion of Woods, even when public opinion was split.
Reflecting on the 2009 scandal that rocked Woods’ world, Spiranac offered her perspective on a podcast, advocating for the golf icon amid one of his most challenging periods.
“Even when all this was happening, I think people were being too hard on him. You look at your own life and the things you’ve done, no one lives a perfect life, we all make mistakes,” she remarked.
Her comments reveal a profound appreciation for Woods as a person and his resilience, beyond his achievements on the green.
Now at 49 and unlikely to participate in any major tournaments this year due to Achilles surgery, Woods continues to be revered in the realm of sports. His potential comeback could be at the 2026 Masters, yet even as he steps back, his legacy endures within the sport and across social platforms.
