Kai Trump, granddaughter of the US President and eldest child Donald Trump Jr.opened her LPGA career with a 13-over-par 83 on Thursday at The Annika, a debut round that left her near the bottom of the leaderboard and highlighted the gulf between elite junior golf and a field filled with the sport's top professionals.
18 year old amateur playing on the much-discussed release of the sponsorstarted her round on the back nine alongside former major champion Hinako Shibuno and Germany's Olivia Cowan. She received a warm ovation when her name was called on the par-4 10th tee and after she safely reached the fairway, one of the few calm moments in a nervous start.
Trump later admitted that she was more nervous than when she spoke at the Republican National Convention last year and it showed. She bogeyed her first four holes, a series of practice shots leaving her scrambling before she hit her fifth shot from the fairway. A steady par on the par-5 14th finally stopped the slide, and she mixed in two more bogeys with a pair of pars, including a sharp rise and fall on the par-3 16th that produced one of the loudest roars of the afternoon. She reached the turn at 41.
Her mother Vanessa and University of Miami assistant coach Jim Garren have been walking a tightrope the entire time — a day after Miami officially announced its intention to join the Hurricanes for the 2026-27 season. What Golf The channel's commentators described how the biggest gallery of the day stretched forward to include supporters, skeptics and spectators aware that her tax exemption had dominated American golf discourse for weeks.
The LPGA's television window expired after Trump's first appearance, an awkward result of scheduling given the hype surrounding her debut, but it did nothing to slow the crowd. Fans pressed against the ropes on nearly every fairway.
Nine defenders created a lot of turbulence. Trump hit her shot just off the turn and then ran into real trouble with two double-bogeys on the next four holes. On the par-4 eighth—her 17th—the top-iron produced an audible sigh, but she responded with her sharpest shot of the day, dropping her next putt four feet despite Trump looking straight into the sun. Two more bogeys at the finish left her with an 83, the highest score of the day.
“I was nervous the entire time, without a doubt,” Trump said. “But I thought I did pretty well for the first time, being the youngest player on the field. Now I kind of know how it goes.”
Her presence divided opinion among members of the US golf establishment. Some analysts say the combination of Donald Trump's granddaughter on the field and WNBA star Caitlin Clarke in the pro lineup has made this one of the most talked-about tour weeks in recent memory. Others questioned whether a player ranked No. 461 by the American Junior Golf Association should rank at the end of the season in an area where professionals are vying for end-of-season honors and, for some, jobs next year.
Tournament host Annika Sorenstam supported the decision, urging critics to “give this girl a chance.” Pelican Golf Club owner Dan Doyle Jr., whose club controlled the exemption, said Trump's presence has already caused a noticeable surge in attention, especially on social media, where she has more than nine million followers. “She’s a pleasure to talk to,” Doyle said. “And it created a buzz among the other great players we have here.”
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Trump repeatedly called the week a learning experience. She was open about her weaknesses in her short game and putting, even as Pelican officials praised her length and ball-striking accuracy during practice rounds.
Her circle of support includes her grandfather, who advised “have fun, don't be nervous,” and Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion. who is dating his mother Vanessa. Woods told her to “go with the flow,” something she referenced again Thursday when talking about regrouping after mistakes.
South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran was in the lead after a six-under 64, one shot ahead of Australia's Grace Kim. Jennifer Kupcho sat two strokes back and Charlie Hull was in the group one stroke further back – a reminder of just how high the standard is at a tournament that typically draws one of the LPGA's strongest fields.
