Masters fan who went viral is identified as Texas Tech cheerleader
Masters fan who went viral after being spotted in the crowd is identified as Texas Tech cheerleader
- The Masters fan who went viral on the 16th hole on Sunday has been identified as a Texas Tech cheerleader
- Aaliyah Kikumoto, 19, is a native of Colorado and member of her school’s pom squad
- The Texas college student attended the tournament in Augusta along with her father, Charles
The golf fan who lit up social media on Sunday evening has been identified as a Texas Tech cheerleader from Colorado.
During the tense finale to the US Masters between Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, coed Aaliyah Kikumoto, 19, was spied by at least one TikTok user as she watched on from the 16th tee box.
As Kikumoto waited, along with everyone else, for Patrick Cantlay to take his shot so that Rahm and Koepka could continue their battle, the camera lingered on her face long enough for her to go viral.
It was TikTok account DoubleBogeys that set things in motion, posting a short clip of Kikumoto alongside the caption: ‘Somehow I feel in love with someone I only saw for 15 seconds.’
The video begins with the teen looking tense before breaking into a smile as Cantlay continues to line up his drive. At the time of writing, the snippet has 3.4 million views and over 250,000 likes.
The camera lingered Kikumoto as along with everyone else, she waited for Patrick Cantlay to take his shot
The Masters fan who went viral on the 16th hole on Sunday has been identified as a Texas Tech cheerleader Aaliyah Kikumoto, 19
At one point, Kikumoto broke into a smile over the amount of time it was taking Cantlay to line up his shot
‘Legit said, ‘she’s gonna be the new ohio state girl’ as I was watching live,’ one commenter said, a reference to Ohio State football Catherine Gurd who went viral earlier this year looking tense at the College Football Playoff semifinal between Georgia and Ohio State.
‘Bro I thought I was the only one,’ another wrote.
Kikumoto is a native of Colorado, hailing from the outskirts of Denver where she graduated from Rock Canyon High School. She is one of six siblings.
The dancer is listed as a member of Texas Tech’s Pom squad for 2022-23. The Texas college student attended the tournament in Augusta along with her father, Charles.
She appears to be embracing her new moniker of ‘Masters girl.’ Kikumoto replied to the Double Bogey’s account saying, ‘Thts me.’
In a separate Instagram post, Kikumoto wrote: ‘thank you Ho. 16 #themastersgirl #themasters.’
Among those who also responded to America’s new viral star was Kikumoto’s mother, AJ Loveland, who wrote under one posting of her daughter: ‘Yay!! Repping Texas Tech!! Go TTU Poms!!!! So proud of my hubby @CharlesKikumoto and TTU Poms daughter Aaliyah!!!!’
this made the masters 10 times better #masters #golf #golfgirls #golftiktok #masters2023 #augusta
Kikumoto is a native of Colorado, hailing from the outskirts of Denver where she graduated from Rock Canyon High School. She is one of six siblings
The dancer is listed as a member of Texas Tech’s Pom squad for 2022-23
It’s unclear if Kikumoto will attend the next major tournament, the PGA Championship in May
It’s clear that Kikumoto has cheerleading in her blood as her mother was formerly a dancer for the Denver Nuggets Dancers in the NBA. These days, Loveland is a children’s author and dance competition judge.
Her father Charles, a graduate of Brigham Young University, is an executive with insurance brokers Moreton & Company in Denver. Formerly he served on the finance committee for the Utah Republican Party in his home state.
‘Yes, enjoying easter at the masters with my TTU pom squad hat on. Our daughter Aaliyah has the green masters hat on and goes to Tech. Wreck em!’ he wrote on Twitter while supporting his daughter’s school by wearing a Texas Tech hat,
It’s unclear if Kikumoto will attend the next major tournament, the PGA Championship in May.
Kikumoto’s mother, AJ Loveland, was formerly a cheerleader with the Denver Nuggets. Her father, Charles, is an executive with a Colorado-based insurance firm
She is America’s first major viral sweetheart since Catherine Gurd aka Peach Bowl girl’s star turn in January.
The Xavier University lacrosse player went viral after TikTok creator Hayden Sheppard posted a short video of her with a caption reading: ‘Somebody find me this girl from Ohio State… for the love of god.’
As the camera pans to her, she’s watching the game intently in the crowd with her hands in a prayer pose on her lips.
Sheppard’s video was seen more than 3.4 million times.
‘Those eyes, that will make a man move to OHIO right there,’ one person said.
‘By far the most beautiful freaking eyes,’ another TikTok user wrote.
Since the TikTok went viral the internet has been trying to track her down and now people have their answer.
Three seconds of fame: It took only moments for ‘Peach Bowl Girl’ to go viral. Pictured is Catherine Gurd at the game
Gurd posted a video two days after the Peach Bowl with the caption: ‘POV your 3 seconds on TV somehow makes you go viral.’
In a follow-up TikTok, the teen posted a tongue-in-cheek clip of herself in front of a news story with the text: ‘When you kick off 2023 with a new name.’
According to her profile on Xavier University, Gurd’s hometown is New Albany, Ohio, and she’s a freshman majoring in biomedical sciences.
Clearly a sports fan, Gurd is no stranger to being an on-field superstar herself.
She is a four-year varsity letterwinner in lacrosse and field hockey, and was a three-year captain in lacrosse.
She posted 28 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers during her junior season.
Last season, Gurd was awarded first-team all-conference and first-team all-region honors.
‘[She] led her team to back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019, compiling a 39-8 record’ during this period.
And she also ‘earned academic All-Honors from 2017-21… [and] also played club lacrosse for Impact Lacrosse.’
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