There are certain benefits of becoming an overnight internet sensation by going viral in a video but it can also have its drawbacks.
Aaliyah Kikumoto has been dubbed "Masters Girl" since she was seen on TV standing behind eventual 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm at the 16th tee of the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
A TikTok user, Double Bogeys Only, celebrated the moment by posting a clip of Kikumoto along with a caption: "Somehow I feel in love with someone I only saw for 15 seconds."
From that moment, life began to change for the Texas Tech cheerleader and dancer, though she didn't find out until she had finished an evening meal and checked her phone only to find that she was taking the internet by storm.
It has been a roller coaster ride since then with Kikumoto becoming the unlikely breakout star of the golf tournament and her Instagram following going from just over 4,000 to more than 30,000 in 48 hours.
Speaking to Newsweek, the cheerleader said that she had no idea that she was causing such a stir on social media, where the video of her has been viewed more than 3 million times.
"That evening my friends told me they saw me a few times and shared screenshots and video but nothing crazy. We went to dinner and then we got home and my phone was blowing up.
"My friends called me and said you're on a TikTok video. Look at what I just sent you! Then I saw two videos. I commented on one and said 'that's me!' Then my phone was literally blowing up."
Since going viral, Kikumoto has posted a couple of times on TikTok and Instagram but some people are not happy about her rise to prominence. The trolls were soon out in force in the comment section of her posts, with some trying to shut her down and claim that her 15 minutes of fame is over.
@double.bogey this made the masters 10 times better #masters #golf #golfgirls #golftiktok #masters2023 #augusta
♬ original sound - lucia <3
Comments were made accusing Kikumoto of milking the situation and calling for her to step out of the limelight, despite others urging her to cash in on the moment.
The ferocity of the trolling has increased as the reach of Kikumoto's post has spread but she told Newsweek that she had a simple way of dealing with it.
Kikumoto said the best way was to "try to just avoid any negativity." Therefore she doesn't read any comments that might bring her mood down.
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
