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As all of the internet oldheads know, before Paige Spiranac (and those trying to emulate her success) became the top golf influencer in the land, there was Holly Sonders.
Way back in 2016, Holly Sonders was ranked, for the third time, one of the beautiful women in golf by Sports Illustrated.
She did work for Fox Sports, covering golf and serving as a sideline reporter on NFL games, and The Golf Channel, most notably on the TV show, Morning Drive.
Sonders was also in a seven-year relationship with CBS Sports’ Erik Kuselias before going on to date former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and getting engaged to a gambler named Vegas Dave.
She eventually broke up with him and moved on to another famous Las Vegas name in 2021: Oscar De La Hoya.
Since leaving her broadcasting career behind for the lucrative world of running her own subscription website, Holly Sonders has not only drastically changed her appearance, she is also making, as she put it, “20x as much money” as she made working at The Golf Channel.
Recently, Holly Sonders hinted that she would be getting back into the golf game (as soon as she heals up).
https://twitter.com/holly_sonders/status/1616645381965873153
https://twitter.com/holly_sonders/status/1616883646727860227
This week, Holly Sonders was taking a look back at her time at The Golf Channel and shared a cover she shot for Golf Digest on Instagram.
“It’s been almost 10 years since I posed for the cover of @golfdigest,” Sonder wrote. “At the time it was a controversial choice for the magazine because I was the FIRST EVER female to grace the cover who was never a LPGA tour pro. I was a broadcaster on Golf Channel and they chose me because of my following and influence on the sport. This was 2012, before “influencers” were even a thing. I decided back then in 2011 that women could be hot and smart, you can dress sexy and still know your shit. Some people didn’t support me wearing shorts skirts and low tops on TV in the beginning, but there’s no denying that it worked. Real talent was rewarded and respected, no matter what you look like. And it’s a formula that works. Be you, be the best at what you do, and the rest falls into place.”
Naturally, her current boyfriend Oscar De La Hoya decided to comment, and what a comment it was…
Classy.