Kai Trump, granddaughter of President Donald Trump, missed the cut in her LPGA debut at the Annika tournament in Pelican Golf Club in Bellair, Florida. Kai, 18, is still an amateur — and a University of Miami commit — but received an exemption to take part in the event where she finished 18-over par in her two rounds of play.
In her first taste of an LPGA event, Trump struggled Thursday, shooting an 83 with nine bogeys and a pair of double bogeys. She did have a better round Friday, finishing with a 75 that include four birdies.
The improvement wasn’t enough, however, for her to be near the projected cut of 1-over par.
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Where does Kai Trump rank on the Annika leaderboard?
Following the first two rounds of the Annika, Trump sits in last place and is ranked 108th at the event. She’s well off leader Grace Kim, who is 9-under after 36 holes.
LPGA Annika schedule
The Annika began Thursday at the Pelican Golf Club in Bellair, Florida. The event will run through Sunday, with golfers playing all 18 holes on the course each day.
The event will be broadcast on the Golf Channel each day. Broadcast times vary. On Thursday and Friday, Golf Channel will cover the Annika from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. ET. The broadcast moves from 2:30-4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday before running 2-4 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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Who is Kai Trump?
Kai — who is the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. — announced she would take part in the Annika in a post on X in October. In the video, Kai Trump called it a “dream of mine to compete at a professional level.”
To prepare for the event, Trump was able to call on some key allies for advice, including legendary golfer Tiger Woods, who is dating Kai’s mother, Vanessa, per the New York Post.
“I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,” Kai Trump said Tuesday. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”
Putting up a strong performance at the Annika was always going to be difficult. In addition to the event being Trump’s LPGA debut, she faced tough competition, including Nelly Korda, who is the event’s defending champion and has won the tournament three out of the past four years.
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While Trump is an accomplished golfer, she still isn’t at a point where she’s consistently winning junior events. Trump finished dead last in the girls division at the Junior Invitational in March. She ended the event 52-over.
Regardless of her performance, the extra experience at the Annika should prove beneficial for Trump as she prepares to continue her golf career at the University of Miami next year.
