Aaliyah Kikumoto, the Texas Tech cheerleader dubbed the 'Masters Girl' is having the time of her life. Kikumoto who became an overnight sensation after a clip of her in the crowd at the 16th hole of the golf competition went viral is having one of the biggest weeks of her life and appears to be just getting started.
The member of the Texas Tech Pom Squad was roped in by BSX on Friday as their newest model. She made her Instagram debut wearing lace, black leather leggings, and red heels. Kikumoto landed the new job just five days after she went viral during the Masters final round on Easter Sunday.
Star in the Making
Kikumoto, 19, has been reveling in her newfound fame by posting modeling photos that she had taken only days before the Masters video clip went viral and she gained more than 40,000 followers.
She posted a number of photos to her Instagram account before using her newfound social media influence to advertise the Princess Polly clothing line in a different post.
Kikumoto's new modeling contract with BSX media was revealed in a joint post with a number of images on Friday, just five days after her debut at the Master's
The photos, however, were taken prior to the Masters, the photographer made clear.
"When statuesque beauty pairs with a kind and beautiful soul, you call her @aaliyahkikumoto Introducing newest BSX model and (golf girl extraordinaire) Aaliyah," it posted on their Instagram page.
The Kikumoto clip was first posted on TikTok by the user DoubleBogeys. "Somehow I feel in love with someone I only saw for 15 seconds," they captioned a little video they posted of her.
Kikumoto's most recent promotions came after her appearance at Augusta National. However, it appears that she has been a brand ambassador for Celsius Energy Drink for some time as she hyped the product in March.
Reveling in Her Newfound Fame
Kikumoto story of stardom began on April 9, when she momentarily appeared in television coverage of the Masters, standing behind golfers Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.
Kikumoto identified herself as the fan who had been standing in the gallery only a few inches behind Koepka and Rahm. The camera's field of view stayed on her face while she watched the golf at Augusta National for long enough for someone to take a quick video, which later went viral.
One commenter made reference to Ohio State football player Catherine Gurd, who gained notoriety earlier this year for appearing stressed at the College Football Playoff semifinal between Georgia and Ohio State, saying, " Legit said, 'she's gonna be the new ohio state girl' as I was watching live."
Another person said, "Bro, I thought I was the only one."
"Thts me," Aaliyah wrote in the video's comments section after some time.
Grace Charis, the rising golf social media influencer couldn't believe it. "OMG, it is you," Charis wrote with a crying laughing emoji.
Kikumoto is a native of Colorado. She attended Rock Canyon High School on the outskirts of Denver where she grew up. She is one of six siblings.
The dancer is described as a 2022–2023 member of Texas Tech's Pom team. The Texas college student went to Augusta for the competition, along with her father Charles.
Given that Kikumoto's mother used to dance for the NBA's Denver Nuggets Dancers, it is obvious that cheerleading runs in her family. Loveland now works as a judge for dance competitions and a children's book author.
She is America's first major viral heartthrob after Catherine Gurd, aka the Peach Bowl girl, who became an overnight sensation in January.
A short video of the lacrosse player from Xavier University that TikTok developer Hayden Sheppard posted with the caption, "Someone find me this girl from Ohio State... for the love of god," went viral.
She can be seen watching the game closely from the crowd as the camera pans to her, holding her hands in a prayer position on her lips.
The number of views for Sheppard's video exceeded 3.4 million.
