Kai Trump won’t have her president grandfather on hand for her LPGA Tour debut this weekend at The Annika, but her mother, Vanessa, was alongside her as she played the tournament’s pro-am event on Wednesday with a subtle nod to the elder Trump’s boyfriend, Tiger Woods.
Thanks to a sponsor exemption, Kai will make her professional debut this weekend in Belleair, Florida, as an 18-year-old still in high school, set to begin her first year at Miami in 2026 with an LPGA event on her resume. Kai said President Trump won’t be on hand for her debut as he’s busy “running the world.”
But Vanessa, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., was inside the ropes with her daughter for the pro-am session, during which Caitlin Clark garnered bigger crowds just a few holes behind on the back nine. On Wednesday, Vanessa did not have the company of Woods, whom she began dating earlier this year.
But she did make a small gesture to her partner with her hat selection. Vanessa was spotted wearing a black Sun Day Red baseball cap with a white Sun Day Red logo and the letters “S D R” surrounding it.
The hat also featured a logo on the side for The Genesis Invitational, which Woods hosts each year, traditionally at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
Woods launched Sun Day Red in early 2024 following the end of his iconic 27-year partnership with Nike. A partnership with TaylorMade, the moniker stems from his signature red shirt worn during tournament final rounds.
Woods and Vanessa went public with their romance in March, with the couple revealing their relationship through social media while requesting privacy.
Before Kai’s professional debut, she revealed guidance she received from one of golf’s all-time greats, who happens to be romantically involved with her mother.
“Yeah, I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world,” Kai Trump said. “I would say that. And even better person.
“He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”
Kai also shared counsel from the president before her major debut.
“My grandpa pretty much told me go out there and have fun,” she said. “Just don’t get nervous. Try my best not to.”
