As Kai Trump, the granddaughter of President Donald Trump, teed off in an LPGA event in Florida, her mother stood watchfully by as she prowled the links.
Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr. and the current girlfriend of Tiger Woods, was seen following her daughter along the ropes at The ANNIKA – just south of Clearwater on Florida’s gulf coast.
While Woods was not present with her, Vanessa kept close to Kai as she played The Pelican Club during a Wednesday practice round.
Kai’s play in the penultimate LPGA event of the season is thanks to a sponsors exemption and came just weeks after she signed a letter of intent to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami.
Vanessa and Tiger have been dating for a few months now, with Daily Mail exclusively revealing their relationship before the couple went public.
At the tournament, Kai revealed that she went to Woods for advice before teeing it up this week.
Kai Trump began her pro golf career in a practice round at The ANNIKA on Wednesday
Her mother, Vanessa Trump, watched along from the ropes as she played the course in Florida
Kai revealed that she had sought advice from none other than 15-time major winner Tiger Woods before taking to the fairways this week.
‘He is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,’ she gushed when asked about the golfing legend’s influence.
‘He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens,’ she added.
Kai has been fortunate to spend time with the icon amid her mother Vanessa Trump’s relationship with Woods, which has seen the rising golfer to attend TGL events – the tech-infused golf league founded by Woods – and the 2025 Genesis Invitational earlier this year.
Kai also attends The Benjamin School in Florida – the same place Woods’ children Sam and Charlie also study.
Vanessa and Tiger reportedly met and bonded over their children Kai and Charlie and their shared pursuit of golf.
However, Woods, a five-time Masters winner, isn’t the only golfing influence in her life. Kai has grown up on the fairways with her grandfather, a renowned avid golfer himself.
‘My grandpa pretty much told me go out there and have fun. Just don’t get nervous. Try my best not to,’ she shared when asked about the president’s words of wisdom.
Kai Trump, 18, will make her LPGA debut at The ANNIKA in Florida this week
The high school senior revealed that Tiger Woods gave her advice ahead of the event
Kai and Trump frequently bond over 18 holes with the president even making a cameo on her YouTube channel.
While Kai admitted that the pair share a lot of tight matches, she revealed that Trump, who has stolen the show at a number of high profile sports events since his inauguration in January, wouldn’t be among the crowds at The Pelican Club this week.
‘He’s running the world right now, so a little busy,’ she joked.
‘To me he’s just a normal grandpa. Always has been. There is nothing different I would say,’ she added.
This week’s tournament marks a gargantuan leap for Kai, who will be tackling the biggest event of her career before even competing at collegiate level.
And it’s a fact that isn’t lost on her as she admitted: ‘It’s really cool to say that I’m playing my first LPGA event and I’m only a senior in high school.’
The golf legend is dating Vanessa Trump, Kai’s mom and the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr
Kai’s grandfather, President Donald Trump, has also had a great golfing influence on her
The LPGA tournament is echelons above anything on Kai’s existing resume. Her most high-profile competition to date came this spring at the Junior Invitational – one of the world’s most prestigious junior golf events.
Kai struggled at Sage Valley in South Carolina, finishing rock-bottom of the leaderboard, but she has refused to let that deter her as she prepares to take on the sport’s biggest names.
‘I didn’t play so well but I think I learned a lot in that tournament not playing well,’ she confessed.
‘I learned a lot about my game, what I have to work on, where I have to be. And I would say that was the biggest one and that’s really the one I learned the most from in my golf so far.’
Kai will put that newfound knowledge to the test when she tees off in Thursday’s first round in Belleair, Florida.
