Former golf pro turned social media star Paige Spiranac has branded PGA player Nate Lashley a sexist after he ‘belittled’ her and said people only watch her videos because of her good looks.

Spiranac had slammed golf stars including Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka for taking too long between shots at the recent Masters tournament in Augusta, saying, ‘I’ve seen paint dry faster than that round was finished.’

That prompted Lashley to take her to task for not having the golfing experience to comment on the matter with authority.

‘I don’t like slow play at all but these courses are very difficult and there is a lot on the line,’ he tweeted.

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Spiranac made no apologies for using her sex appeal to her advantage and pointed out that her stance on time wasting on the course is no different from that of many golf experts

‘If @PaigeSpiranac would have played professionally at a higher level she would understand but I don’t think most people are watching these videos to see what she has to say.’

Spiranac wasn’t taking that lying down and shot back in a tweet on Friday.

‘I said Nate’s tweet was sexist on my podcast which is now causing a stir on twitter lol,’ she wrote.

‘Yes, I use my sex appeal to my advantage but that doesn’t invalidate my opinion.

‘I share a similar stance on slow play as many top pros as well as many in golf media but he only decided to call me out and belittle my achievements in the process.

‘It’s not about me showing my cleavage and getting upset when I’m called out by it. I’m upfront about my brand. Not my fault people like boobs and golf. Both are wonderful.’

Fans were quick to agree with Spiranac and criticise Lashley over the issue.

The Instagram star’s tweet was viewed more than 400,000 times within hours of being posted

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It’s far from the first time Spiranac has had to defend herself from attacks based on her appearance

‘Nate, you are way off base twice. First, going too slow in golf is rude and cheating the back behind by killing their pace. Second, there is nothing wrong with Paige being attractive and correct at the same time,’ one tweeted.

‘Do not care how much is on the line. A 5 hour round of golf should never happen. And those making it happen are bad for the game (current and future). The sexist remark at the end is just a cherry on top of a terrible opinion,’ another commented.

‘I never understand why guys hate. Every guy in the world wants a hot wife who can play golf and keep up… yet when they can’t date them they hate on them,’ noted a third.

‘I have no boobs. I know many pros both with and without boobies. They all agree that pace of play is an enormous issue. I hope Nate can appreciate my stance,’ wrote another.

It’s far from the first time Spiranac – who has taken the sport by storm as she racked up 3.7million Instagram followers and was named the world’s sexiest woman by Maxim magazine – has defended herself against attacks based on her looks.

Last month she lashed out at the ‘gross’ comments she receives whenever she is pictured with male athletes or celebrities.

‘One thing people don’t talk about with being a woman in a male-dominated industry, whether it’s golf or the sports industry, is that any time I do content with another man there are rumors and comments, and it’s all disgusting sexual stuff,’ Spiranac said in an Instagram Q&A.

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Spiranac was named the world’s sexiest woman by Maxim magazine last year and boasts more than 3.7million followers on Instagram

She frequently has to deal with online trolls who either fat-shame her, criticise her appearance, or say she shouldn’t be taken seriously because of her looks

Last June the 30-year-old issued a brilliant comeback to a troll who wrote, ‘No One in the Golf World Cares About Paige Spiranac’s Views! A Boob Job Does Not Make You a Wise Sage!’

She wrote back, ‘They’re real and they’re spectacular’ – quoting a famous line about breasts in the hit TV comedy Seinfeld.

And when another commenter wrote ‘@PaigeSpiranac has a horse head. Honestly. Dude has a long face,’ she responded by posting a picture from her Maxim shoot with a horse’s head Photoshopped in place of her own and the caption ‘Seabiscuit Spiranac’, referring to the famous American racehorse.

She was fat-shamed in September 2022 when she posted pics of herself on the course in a pink one-piece outfit and responded with some classy words.

‘I know my body is a big part of my brand and that comes with the territory, but it’s hard to maintain my ideal weight all the time for year after year,’ she wrote.

‘I have to work very hard in the gym and with diet. It doesn’t come naturally to me. It can be defeating when people call out my body insecurities.’