Kai Trump is about to make her LPGA debut, but unlike other newcomers to the tour, she has arguably the best golfer of all-time in her corner.
Kai’s mom, Vanessa, is currently dating Tiger Woods. Woods, 49, had some words of encouragement for Kai, 18, before she tees off at The Annika in Naples, Florida on Thursday, November 13.
“I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,” Kai said in an interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, November 11. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”
Kai, who is committed to play golf at the University of Miami in 2026, received a sponsor exemption to compete in the tournament. The exemption drew its share of controversy as critics argued she was not able to qualify on her own merits and earned her spot due to her social media following and status as the granddaughter of President Donald Trump.
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Annika Sorenstam, the golf legend for whom the tournament is named, had a chance to observe Kai and came away impressed with how she carries herself.
“I just don’t know how she does it, honestly,” Sorenstam, 55, told Reuters in a story published Wednesday, November 12. “To be [18] years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I’m sure we can all relate what it’s like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times.”
Sorenstam continued, “So that’s why I just want to give her a break, come out here and have fun. We want her to feel like family here and I want her to feel welcome. I mean, give this girl a chance, right? I think that’s our responsibility this week.”
Dan Doyle Jr., the owner of The Pelican Club, which hosts the event, also defended the exemption.
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“The idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” he said. “You got [to see Kai] live. She’s lovely to speak to and she brought a lot of viewers through Instagram and things like that that normally don’t watch women’s golf.”
While Kai herself hasn’t specifically addressed the exemption, she said she was looking forward to proving herself against some of the best competition in the world.
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“My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” she said in an October press release. “This event will be an incredible experience. I look forward [to] meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.”
Kai, who is the daughter of President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. and ex-wife Vanessa, has frequently featured her grandfather on her social channels, where she has more than 6 million combined followers.
“I had an amazing time filming with my Grandpa to kick off my new series called 1 on 1 with Kai,” she wrote via Instagram in October to promote an hour-long video of her golfing with Trump, 79. “In the video, everyone gets to see the bond we have, especially on the golf course. This is my favorite video I have filmed so far and holds a lot of meaning to me. I hope you enjoy this very special video. Out now on YouTube!”
