Kai Trump Struggles in Shaky LPGA Debut, Finishes 83rd in Tournament
Donald Trump's granddaughter, 18-year-old amateur Kai, made her highly anticipated debut on the LPGA tour with a disappointing 13-over-par 83 at The Annika tournament. Her shaky start and struggles throughout the round left her at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Trump began her round on the back nine alongside former major champion Hinako Shibuno and Germany's Olivia Cowan, receiving warm applause from the crowd after driving safely into the fairway. However, she quickly reverted to a nervous state, bogeying her opening four holes and scrambling before taking her fifth swing from the fairway.
The turning point came at the par-5 14th hole, where Trump mixed two more bogeys with a pair of pars, including a sharp up-and-down at the par-3 16th that drew a roar from the crowd. Despite this, she struggled to regain her composure and eventually finished with two more bogeys.
Trump's mother, Vanessa, and University of Miami assistant coach Jim Garren walked alongside her throughout the round, as fans from all over pressed up against the ropes. The back nine offered even more turbulence for Trump, who dropped a shot immediately after the turn and then ran into real trouble with double-bogeys over her next four holes.
Trump's presence has been highly debated among US golf enthusiasts, with some praising her enthusiasm and others questioning whether she should be given a spot in the tournament. Tournament host Annika Sorenstam defended the decision to grant Trump a late-season spot, urging critics to "give this girl a chance." Pelican Golf Club owner Dan Doyle Jr praised Trump's presence for creating a buzz on social media, where she has more than nine million followers.
Despite her struggles, Trump remains optimistic about her experience. She has repeatedly framed the week as a learning experience, highlighting weaknesses in her short game and putting. Her support network includes her grandfather Donald Trump, who advised her to "have fun, don't get nervous," and Tiger Woods, whose guidance she referenced again after mistakes.
The tournament is currently led by South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran, with Australia's Grace Kim one shot behind. Jennifer Kupcho sits two strokes back, while Charley Hull is among a group one shot further behind. Trump's disappointing debut serves as a reminder of the high standard at this event, which typically draws one of the LPGA's strongest fields.
Donald Trump's granddaughter, 18-year-old amateur Kai, made her highly anticipated debut on the LPGA tour with a disappointing 13-over-par 83 at The Annika tournament. Her shaky start and struggles throughout the round left her at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Trump began her round on the back nine alongside former major champion Hinako Shibuno and Germany's Olivia Cowan, receiving warm applause from the crowd after driving safely into the fairway. However, she quickly reverted to a nervous state, bogeying her opening four holes and scrambling before taking her fifth swing from the fairway.
The turning point came at the par-5 14th hole, where Trump mixed two more bogeys with a pair of pars, including a sharp up-and-down at the par-3 16th that drew a roar from the crowd. Despite this, she struggled to regain her composure and eventually finished with two more bogeys.
Trump's mother, Vanessa, and University of Miami assistant coach Jim Garren walked alongside her throughout the round, as fans from all over pressed up against the ropes. The back nine offered even more turbulence for Trump, who dropped a shot immediately after the turn and then ran into real trouble with double-bogeys over her next four holes.
Trump's presence has been highly debated among US golf enthusiasts, with some praising her enthusiasm and others questioning whether she should be given a spot in the tournament. Tournament host Annika Sorenstam defended the decision to grant Trump a late-season spot, urging critics to "give this girl a chance." Pelican Golf Club owner Dan Doyle Jr praised Trump's presence for creating a buzz on social media, where she has more than nine million followers.
Despite her struggles, Trump remains optimistic about her experience. She has repeatedly framed the week as a learning experience, highlighting weaknesses in her short game and putting. Her support network includes her grandfather Donald Trump, who advised her to "have fun, don't get nervous," and Tiger Woods, whose guidance she referenced again after mistakes.
The tournament is currently led by South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran, with Australia's Grace Kim one shot behind. Jennifer Kupcho sits two strokes back, while Charley Hull is among a group one shot further behind. Trump's disappointing debut serves as a reminder of the high standard at this event, which typically draws one of the LPGA's strongest fields.
I'm loving how the LPGA tour is giving opportunities to new faces like Kai Trump, even if it means some people will be surprised by their performance. It's all about exposure and growth, right? 
The crowd was definitely supportive, but I think that's exactly what Kai needed – a push from her fans! 
Annika Sorenstam makes a solid point about giving everyone a chance to shine. It's not always easy to stand out in such a competitive field, so let's keep cheering on our newbies and celebrating the learning process 
. The girl's got skills, but she needs to work on her nerves, you know? I mean, her granny and coach were there supporting her the whole time, so that's a good sign. Maybe this is just a case of her getting butterflies on the big stage 
. Anyway, gotta give props to her for trying out, even if it didn't go exactly as planned 
. And hey, at least she made some fans happy 
I was hyped to see her out there on the course, but it looks like she got totally nervous 
. I feel bad for her, 'cause she came into this with all these expectations & stuff. You'd think she'd be all composed, but instead, she bogeyed those first four holes 
. Can't say I blame her though, it's not easy being a pro golfer! 
. Maybe next time, right? 
Kai Trump's first LPGA tournament didn't exactly go as planned... 83rd place isn't great 
. I think it's cool that she got to play in front of so many people and learned a lot from her mistakes 
. Some might say she's lucky to have all those famous folks cheering for her, but let's be real, she still had to go out there and do her thing 
i'm sure it wasn't easy being in the spotlight and all the pressure from her fam & friends 
. But seriously, can't just give anyone a spot in the tournament? It feels like she showed up and got to play for the Instagram likes 
. Anyways, maybe next time she'll bring her A-game (or at least not embarrass herself too much).
She had some crazy good skills but like totally freaked out after a few bad shots 
Guess it's back to the drawing board for Kai Trump 
. Has she taken any golf lessons since she started practicing or is it more of trial by fire over there? 
. Is she gonna be able to handle the LPGA tour without totally losing it? 
. I mean, it's not like she's gonna win the tournament or anything 
. But hey, at least it got people talking about golf again 
? Annika Sorenstam is right, though - we should give Kai a chance to prove herself 
.
. At least he's acknowledging the buzz she created on social media 
! And Kai's got that Tiger Woods' guidance to thank for, so that's gotta count for something 
.