Paige Spiranac has faced challenges to her ‘Golf Queen’ throne from a couple of influencers in the last few years. In the list that includes Karin Hart and Hailey Rae Ostrom, Grace Charis has been a new addition. The 21-year-old has taken social media by storm in the last one and a half years.

While she is still lagging behind Spiranac as far as fan following is concerned, let’s deep dive into her game. Now, they haven’t faced each other on the greens. But their handicaps can offer a somewhat fair assessment.

Paige Spiranac revealed a few months back that she is a +2 handicapper—better than a scratch golfer. Charis, on the other hand, was unaware of the little nuances in the handicapping system. She hasn’t followed the traditional route of golf, but more on that later. In a video posted on TikTok, Grace Charis revealed her handicap. She is an 8 (not a +8, note the difference).

Interestingly, Grace Charis teed off at the Sunshine State Amateur recently. The celebrity influencer, who boasts a 3.4 million fan following on Instagram (Paige Spiranac has 4 million), missed the cut by 18 strokes.

The 21-year-old Texas resident shot 14-over in two rounds marked by 12 bogeys and 5 doubles. Her lone birdie came at the par-5 16th at Royal St. Cloud Golf Links. Later on, she posted some snippets from the tournament on her Instagram story, captioning “3rd tournament complete.” Despite their similarities in profession, her and Spiranac’s journey to the social media world has been markedly different, however.

Grace Charis wanted to be a rower

Paige Spiranac was an aspiring pro. She entered the LPGA Tour qualifiers but failed to break through to the top of the women’s golf. Her decision to become an influencer was more a compulsion to fuel, or rather fund, her pro-golf dream. Eventually, Spiranac decided to become a full-time golf influencer after a few unsuccessful attempts to turn pro.

Whereas Charis was a rower planning to compete in professional rowing events. Her team was ready as well. But then COVID hit. With other options closed, a visit to the driving range sparked her enthusiasm for golf. And once one of her pictures with a golf club went viral, she thought of branching into the nascent world of golf influencers.

In an interview with Golf Monthly last month, the 21-year-old said, “It’s a weird way into the game, but I’m trying to get better because a lot of people see me as just some online chick that’s trying to make money and sell things. I’m not seen as a golfer, but I’m edging my way into that by being good at golf and posting videos of great shots.”

The strategy seemed to be working for the youngster as Charis kept on garnering more views and followers. Recently, one of her videos crossed the 60M mark. With the time and effort she has been putting into golf, it won’t be surprising if the 21-year-old crosses more milestones like this.