Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, faced a tough start in her professional golfing debut, finishing last in the LPGA Tour event The Annika.
The high school senior, who recently committed to play college golf at the University of Miami, shot 18-over through two rounds, missing the cut and ending up at the bottom of the 108-player field.
Her future college coach, Jim Garren, an assistant coach for the University of Miami women’s golf team, spoke about the immense pressure she faced. It comes after teenager Trump was left scared by a catastrophic series of events on the green.
“She’ll never play a more pressure-filled round in her career,” Garren told the Daily Mail. “Not only her first start but her first pro start and a big-time event. And she’s coming from junior golf straight to that.”
Garren added, “She hasn’t even reached our level yet,” referring to college golf. “So it’ll never get harder for her career.”
Trump officially signed to play for the Hurricanes on the eve of her professional debut at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Due to NCAA regulations, her commitment wasn’t made official until last week. Despite receiving advice from her grandfather and Tiger Woods, Trump struggled in her opening round, carding a 13-over par 83.
The teenager confessed that competing against professionals felt “a little scary” and managed to joke about her triple-bogey on the fifth hole during her opening round before delivering a standout moment in Friday’s second round.
Trump carded a significantly better five-over 75 on Friday, though it wasn’t sufficient to pull her from the bottom position she’d dropped into. She finished six shots behind 107th-place competitor Benedetta Moresco, and 17 strokes away from making the cut.
Despite the disappointing result, Trump gained valuable insights from the experience. “I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament, so I think if you prepare right the nerves can – I mean, they’re always going to be there, right? They can be a little softened. So I would just say that,” Trump said.
The president’s granddaughter noted she felt less anxious during Friday’s round compared to Thursday, which contributed to her improved performance.
“Yeah, for the first day I was definitely really nervous, I think the nerves just got to me,” Trump said. “When I went out there today I felt very calm and peaceful to be honest with you. And, yeah, that’s why I played better.”
It comes after a golf star announced a sudden, dramatic retirement as horror injuries took their toll.
