Donald Trump’s Granddaughter Kai In Last After 83 In Shaky Lpga Debut

Kai Trump, nan US president’s granddaughter and nan eldest kid of Donald Trump Jr, opened her LPGA profession pinch a 13-over-par 83 connected Thursday astatine The Annika, a debut information that near her astatine nan bottommost of nan leaderboard and underscored nan chasm betwixt elite inferior play and a section stacked pinch nan sport’s apical professionals.

The 18-year-old amateur, playing on a much-discussed sponsor’s exemption, began her information connected nan backmost 9 alongside erstwhile awesome champion Hinako Shibuno and Germany’s Olivia Cowan. She received lukewarm applause erstwhile her sanction was announced connected nan par-4 10th tee and again aft she drove it safely into nan fairway, 1 of nan fewer calm moments successful a jittery start.

Trump confessed afterward she was much tense than erstwhile she said astatine nan Republican National Convention past year and it showed. She bogeyed her opening 4 holes, a tally of tentative strokes that near her scrambling earlier she had taken a 5th plaything from a fairway. A dependable par astatine nan par-5 14th yet stopped nan slide, and she mixed 2 much bogeys pinch a brace of pars, including a crisp up-and-down astatine nan par-3 16th that drew 1 of nan biggest roars of nan early afternoon. She reached nan move successful 41.

Her mother, Vanessa, and University of Miami adjunct coach Jim Garren walked wrong nan ropes passim – 1 time aft Miami formally announced her committedness to subordinate nan Hurricanes for nan 2026–27 season. What Golf Channel commentators described arsenic nan day’s largest assemblage trailed along, a operation of supporters, skeptics and onlookers alert that her exemption had dominated American play sermon for weeks.

The LPGA’s tv model expired aft Trump’s first hole, an awkward scheduling result fixed nan buzz surrounding her debut, but it did thing to slow nan crowds. Fans pressed up against nan ropes connected astir each fairway.

The backmost 9 offered much turbulence. Trump dropped a changeable instantly aft nan turn, past ran into existent problem pinch 2 double-bogeys complete her adjacent 4 holes. On nan par-4 eighth – her 17th – a topped robust produced an audible gasp, only for her to reply pinch her crispest plaything of nan day, knocking nan pursuing changeable to 4 feet contempt Trump looking consecutive into nan sun. Two much bogeys astatine nan decorativeness near her astatine 83, nan highest people of nan day.

“The full clip I was tense without a doubt,” Trump said. “But I thought I did beautiful bully for a first time, being nan youngest subordinate successful nan field. Now I benignant of cognize really it goes.”

Her beingness has divided sentiment crossed nan US play establishment. Some analysts based on that nan operation of Donald Trump’s granddaughter successful nan section and WNBA prima Caitlin Clark successful nan pro-am made this 1 of nan tour’s astir talked-about weeks successful caller memory. Others questioned whether a subordinate classed No 461 successful nan American Junior Golf Association should inhabit a late-season spot successful a section wherever professionals are fighting for season-ending accolades and – for immoderate – their jobs adjacent year.

Tournament big Annika Sorenstam defended nan decision, urging critics to “give this woman a chance.” Pelican Golf Club proprietor Dan Doyle Jr, whose nine controlled nan exemption, said Trump’s beingness had already driven a noticeable surge successful attention, peculiarly crossed societal media, wherever she has much than 9 cardinal followers. “She’s beautiful to speak with,” Doyle said. “And this has created a buzz connected apical of nan different awesome players we person here.”

Trump has many times framed nan week arsenic a learning experience. She has been candid astir weaknesses successful her short crippled and putting, moreover arsenic Pelican officials praised her magnitude and ball-striking during believe rounds.

Her support web includes her grandfather, whose proposal was to “have fun, don’t get nervous”, and Tiger Woods, nan 15-times awesome champion who is making love her mother, Vanessa. Woods told her to “go pinch nan flow”, guidance she referenced again Thursday arsenic she recounted regrouping aft mistakes.

South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran led aft a six-under 64, 1 changeable up of Australia’s Grace Kim. Jennifer Kupcho sat 2 strokes back, while Charley Hull was among a group 1 changeable further down – a reminder of conscionable really crisp nan modular is astatine an arena that routinely draws 1 of nan LPGA’s strongest fields.