The LPGA’s penultimate event on the 2025 schedule is underway.
The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican has brought together many of the biggest stars in women’s golf looking to hoist a trophy and carry momentum into next week’s CME Group Tour Championship. The stacked field includes Nelly Korda, Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson, but another name has garnered much of the attention in the lead-up to this event: Kai Trump. The 18-year-old amateur golfer and granddaughter of President Donald Trump is making her LPGA debut this week on a sponsor exemption.
Read below for round recaps and highlights from Thursday at The Annika.
The Annika 2025 leaderboard
Check tee times and keep tabs on every score being carded with the The Annika live leaderboard.
Amateur Kai Trump signed for a 13-over 83 in the first round of her LPGA debut at The Annika, where she’s playing on a sponsor exemption.
Trump began her day on No. 10 and made four straight bogeys to start the round. Her first par came at the par-5 14th. She made two more pars at holes 16 and 18 to card a 41 on the back nine at Pelican. Trump’s second nine was a bit of a struggle, too, with three bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys.
Barring a miraculous round Friday, Trump will miss the 36-hole cut as she sits in last place (108th). Still, it’s a respectable outing for the 18-year-old, who is signed to play college golf at Miami.
Haeran Ryu went out early and fired a 6-under 64 to take the lead Thursday morning. Now, as play concludes for the day, the 24-year-old South Korean finds herself still alone at the top of the leaderboard. There’s a long way to go, but Ryu is seeking her fourth LPGA victory in just her third season on tour and the 18-hole lead is always a good place to start.
Australia’s Grace Kim is in solo second at 5 under while American Jennifer Kupcho hangs on to outright third at 4 under after the first day. There’s a four-way tie for fourth at 3 under and they’re all big names: Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Mao Saigo and Somi Lee each signed for a 67 in the opening round.
World No. 2 Nelly Korda turned in a score of 1-over 71 on Thursday in the opening round of The Annika — an event she’s won three times before. It was Korda’s first taste of competition since coming back from a five-week hiatus to keep herself healthy, a break she said was meant to prevent injuries, as reported by Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols.
She made 17 pars and one bogey in what can be aptly described as a pedestrian round for the American superstar. Korda, who won a whopping seven times in 2024, has yet to join the winner’s circle this season and she’s seven shots off the lead after day one at Pelican.
The stars and stripes have some representation at the top of the leaderboard. American Jennifer Kupcho turned in a solid round of 4-under 66 and held on to outright third place as of 5:15 p.m. ET on Thursday. Kupcho made five birdies on the back nine and got to 5 under before stumbling at the 18th with a bogey — her only one of the day.
Australia’s Grace Kim was in solo second place when she signed for a 5-under 65 just after 5 p.m. ET on Thursday at The Annika. Kim started on No. 10 and played clean first nine, going out in 32 with three birdies. She cruised right along until No. 8, where she made her lone bogey of the day.
With two holes remaining in her opening round, Kai Trump sits in 108th place at 12 over. She started on the back nine and carded a 41, but three pars on her second nine have been offset by a pair of double bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5.
Charley Hull withdrew from Wednesday’s pro-am at The Annika due to illness but managed to scrap together a really nice round to open the tournament Thursday. The 29-year-old Englishwoman fired a 3-under 68 which included a bogey and a double bogey, offset by six birdies. A clean, bogey-free 32 on the front nine (her second nine) puts Hull right in the mix after one day. As of 5 p.m. ET, she’s tied for fourth.
After a bogey and a double bogey to start her second nine, Kai Trump made back-to-back pars on Nos. 3 and 4. She’s 9 over through 13 holes after starting on No. 10.
Grace Kim made birdie on the par-4 6th just after 3:15 p.m. to get to 5 under through 15 holes and into solo second place during the opening round of The Annika.
After starting on No. 10 and carding a 6-over 41 on her first nine, Kai Trump struggled to begin the inward half. She made bogey on No. 1 and a double bogey at the par-4 second to drop into last place, 108th, on the leaderboard at 9 over.
Lexi Thompson made three birdies in a row on holes 14-16 but those were offset by five bogeys throughout her rollercoaster of a day at Pelican, as she ultimately signed for a 1-over 72 in the opening round of The Annika.
After four straight bogeys to start the round, Kai Trump seemed to settle in a bit in her LPGA debut, eventually carding a 6-over 41 on her opening nine at Pelican Golf Club, which started on No. 10. She sits in 105th place as of 3:10 p.m. ET.
The 2025 Amundi Evian Champion is off to a clean start at Pelican, making three birdies and six pars for a 32 on the back nine, where she started her first round. The 24-year-old from Australia already has a major under her belt this season, could she add another LPGA title?
Kai Trump made the first par of her LPGA debut at the par-5 14th hole at Pelican and another at No. 16. She’s 5 over through 7 holes and in a tie for 105th as of 2:30 p.m. ET.
After starting on No. 10 and making four straight pars, Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom made five consecutive birdies on holes 14-18 to turn in a 30 on her first nine holes at The Annika. She’s in solo second as of 2 p.m. ET.
Kai Trump kicked off her first round at The Annika with four straight bogeys and sits in a tie for 99th at 4 over as of 1:50 p.m. ET.
Charley Hull withdrew from the pro-am portion of The Annika on Wednesday due to illness, but she’s out on the golf course Thursday for the opening round. As of 1:45 p.m. ET, Hull is 1 under through seven holes.
Kai Trump, starting on the back nine, hit the fairway on her first tee shot of the day at the par-4 10th hole.
Nelly Korda is back
After five weeks off, Nelly Korda has returned to LPGA competition. She skipped the Hanwha LifePlus International Crown and instead stayed home to keep herself healthy, which was a preventative measure, as reported by Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols. Korda won seven times last season but hasn’t found such success this year. With just two events left, she has failed to secure a single victory and lost her spot as the World No. 1 as a result.
But Pelican has always been kind to Korda. She’s won three times here already. What better place to turn things around?
Haeran Ryu fires 64 to take a big lead early Thursday
Haeran Ryu made four straight birdies on holes 4-7 en route to a 6-under 64 on Thursday morning at The Annika, which was good enough to give her the solo lead by three shots just after 1 p.m. ET. Ryu, seeking her fourth LPGA victory, is three shots clear of a six-way tie for second which includes Mao Saigo and Leona Maguire, who each shot 3-under 67.
Kai Trump prepares for LPGA debut
Kai Trump, the President’s 18-year-old granddaughter, is preparing to make her LPGA debut Thursday.
