A STUNNING college cheerleader who went viral at last year’s Masters had a rough ride during her much-anticipated return to Augusta.
Aaliyah Kikumoto shot to fame after she was spotted by a camera watching the action between Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka unfold at the 16th hole during the 2023 event.
Tiktok/ double.bogeyAaliyah Kikumoto went viral at last year’s Masters[/caption]
Instagram/aaliyahkikumotoThe Texas Tech student returned to this year’s tournament[/caption]
Instagram/aaliyahkikumotoThe cheerleader was hit with flight delays on the way to the event[/caption]
Instagram/aaliyahkikumotoAaliyah has reveled in her new-found fame[/caption]
Dubbed the ‘Masters Girl,’ the Texas Tech dancer received modeling offers, marriage proposals and even NIL deals.
The 20-year-old decided to return to the Masters this year in the hope to find further fame and fortune.
But she suffered a number of issues on the way to Augusta including a crazy flight delay.
“As you can imagine there are no direct flights from Lubbock [Texas] to Augusta,” her dad Charles told OutKick.
“So our daughter had to fly from Lubbock to Dallas to Charlotte to Augusta and was supposed to land just before midnight on Friday night.
“Her flight in Dallas gets delayed with issues (not weather related) so she misses her flight to Augusta.
“She gets a text that she is rebooked from Charlotte to Augusta on Sunday versus being there as originally booked on Friday night.”
Charles drove to Charlotte to pick up Aaliyah at 12.30am and then they drove over three hours to Augusta.
“We decided to just drive back to Augusta and got in at 4am this morning and wanted to take any other poor souls that were in the same situation with us,” he said.
“I almost yelled at the airport anyone need a ride to the Masters?
“So it is Saturday morning and Masters Girl is now here on Augusta grounds and with a couple hours of sleep we can’t complain.”
Aaliyah posted a number of pictures of herself on Instagram wearing a white dress and a green Masters cap.
“Catch me at the clubhouse #themastersgirl,” she captioned the social media post.
But Aaliyah was not caught on camera during her time at the tournament this time around.
The Colorado native has nonetheless been able to take full advantage of her new-found fame.
She landed a modeling gig with BSX Media and secured ambassador deals for Prime, the energy drink founded by internet personalities Logan Paul and KSI.
Meanwhile, her Instagram following has climbed to 42,000 and she even received marriage proposals in her DMs.
“It has been an interesting ride and one that I wasn’t expecting to happen in this sort of fashion,” Aaliyah told The Daily Star.
“It’s something I wanted at some point to grow my brand and be a positive influence for good.
“While all this is unfolding I’m still trying to do homework, study for exams, Pom commitments and other things.”
Aaliyah is looking to become a golf influencer like Paige Spiranac.
“I definitely want to become an influencer for sure and do great things,” she told The Daily Star.
“As I look at this opportunity, I’m looking to be a multi-disciplined influencer, whether that be dance, golf, modeling, etc.
“I’ve got other interests as well which will be announced shortly. I’m sort of like a Swiss army knife.”
Instagram/aaliyahkikumotoAaliyah has gained modeling and NIL deals since her viral moment[/caption]
Instagram/aaliyahkikumotoShe has even received some marriage proposals[/caption]“}]]