The highly anticipated professional golf debut of 18-year-old amateur Kai Trump concluded with a challenging first round at the LPGA Tour’s The ANNIKA event at Pelican Golf Club in Florida on Thursday. Playing on a sponsor exemption, President Donald Trump’s eldest granddaughter signed for a 13-over 83 and finished the round in last place, 108th out of 108 players on the leaderboard.
A Nervous Start for the Debutante
Kai Trump, who has committed to playing college golf at the University of Miami, admitted to being more nervous than expected as she teed off. Her first venture into professional golf, played in the public spotlight, did not get off to a smooth start, as she bogeyed the first four holes.
Speaking to the media after the round, the young golfer was candid about her performance:
“I was definitely more nervous than I expected, but I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there. I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots. And obviously being my first LPGA event, now I kind of know how it goes. I felt like a little out of order in the beginning but I kind of got it going afterwards.”
Round 1 Performance Details
While her final score was high, the round showed flashes of her potential. The high school senior recorded seven pars, including an impressive up-and-down to save par on the 16th hole, which earned praise from observers.
However, the scorecard was dominated by mistakes: she had nine bogeys and two double bogeys, including four pairs of bogeys across her 18 holes, reflecting the difficulty of making the jump to professional competition.
Cut Line Hopes are Slim
With the field being cut to the top 65 players and ties after the 36-hole mark on Friday, it is considered almost impossible for Kai Trump to make the cut. To have any chance, she would need to shoot an exceptionally low score in the range of 65 to 70 in Round 2, while simultaneously needing the majority of the field above her to perform exceptionally poorly.
Despite the difficult opening round, all eyes remain fixed on the amateur as she prepares to take her shots again on Friday, hoping to finish her debut tournament strongly.