Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, made her LPGA debut at The ANNIKA after receiving a sponsorship exemption. Despite having a strong golfing background and access to her grandfather’s many courses, she struggled in her first professional-level event, shooting a 13-over-par 83 in the opening round and finishing last on the leaderboard.
Her debut included nine bogeys and two double bogeys, and although her mother and coach were present to support her, Kai admitted the experience felt “scary” as the youngest and least experienced player in the field. Returning for round two, she finished 18-over for the tournament and missed the cut, placing 108th out of 108 competitors.
Still, Kai remained positive, telling Golf Channel that after the initial nerves settled, she enjoyed the challenge and learned a lot. She highlighted the pros’ consistency as the biggest difference, saying she could match their driving distance but not their precision with irons.
Despite the tough debut, Kai is committed to improving. She recently signed to play college golf at the University of Miami and plans to compete in several upcoming tournaments to gain more experience and continue developing her game.
