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When Trump made her LPGA debut Thursday at The Annika Golf Club at Pelican in Bellaire, Florida, taking a huge step toward what has been a lifelong goal for her.
But first, she'll play college golf for the team. Miami Hurricanes, officially joined the next recruiting class earlier this week to compete next fall.
“It was a big day for our program, a big day for our university, and Kai plays a big role in that. This is a course we’ve been working on for a long time,” Miami women’s golf head coach Jim Garren of The Annika told Fox News Digital.
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Kai Trump made her LPGA debut Thursday, days after officially committing to the University of Miami. (Jim Garren)
18-year-old granddaughter of the president Donald Trump is sure to turn heads for the Hurricanes next year – her practice session Thursday morning was packed with media and fans of both her grandfather and herself via her YouTube channel. But for Garren, recruiting Trump was purely a game decision.
“We recruited Kai as a promising golfer. We saw the potential in what she could do. The whole thing with us was just golf,” Garren said. “And look, at the end of the day, we all knew when her popularity exploded, but if you look back and when that date comes, it will be a month after we were first able to address the class of 2026. So, we had our eye on her for a long time, we knew about her potential in golf, and we did our due diligence long before she rose to fame. So the forward-looking side of it has always been there for us. She knows we come to this from golf. side”.
Extra eyes wouldn't hurt either, as Garren said he feels responsible for growing the game and expanding the Miami brand.
Kai Trump competes in the Annika Pro-Am golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
“I think any time you can bring attention to not only the University of Miami, to our program, to our athletic department, it's a good thing,” Garren added. “I was lucky enough to see Caitlin Clark here yesterday and what she brought not only to women's basketball, but to women's athletics in general. I was very fortunate to work in Oklahoma when Patty Gasso was just beginning her incredible run in softball. So I think the spotlight not only brings a lot to our program, it helps us grow and helps us continue to recruit world-class players and do what we need to do as a program. I believe the attention is good for women's athletics in general and women's collegiate athletics in particular.
“If we can get someone into our program to help with that, we're absolutely fine with that. Our job is to continue to develop games. Yes, we have to compete for championships, and that's part of coaching. in the world, we certainly welcome exposure.”
And by the time Trump competes for the titles at The U, Garren predicted she'll be ready for that moment.
Kai Trump competes in the Annika Pro-Am golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
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“I'm sitting here at Annika's now and I see how many people are going to watch her play golf. You can't imitate this in practice. You can't emulate the pressure of playing in front of so many people at her age. She’s been on the world stage for a year now,” Garren said.
“The pressure is on her when it comes to golf, playing in a Division I golf tournament, it will be easier for her. And you look at it right now, who can handle the pressure? Kai benefits from being the center of attention every time she hits a golf ball. So for us, she's going to get better at golf as well, and it's our job to develop her as a player, but because of the pressure, we can't offer her anything that she hasn't already seen.”
It hasn't been the best start for Trump, who finds herself near the bottom of the leaderboard on Friday. But by far the youngest player in the field, she can now play with her own money and without the stress.
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