Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of President Donald Trump, will make her LPGA debut next month.
Trump has accepted a sponsor invitation to The Annika driven by Gainbridge, scheduled for Nov. 13-16 at Pelican Golf Club.
“It has been a dream of mine to compete at the professional level, and I’d like to thank the Pelican Golf Club for the invitation,” said Trump, who’s currently a senior at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach, Florida, and has verbally committed to the University of Miami. “I’m looking forward to teeing it up and competing with the best players in the world at one of the most premier venues on tour.”
This marks a significant step up in competition for the young golfer. Trump is currently ranked No. 979 in The Universal Golf Rankings’ junior girls ranking and has had mixed results in competitive play. She struggled at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley last March, finishing last in the 24-player field. But she’s shown improvement recently, tying for third at a South Florida PGA event in July after a runner-up finish at a Hurricane Junior Tour event earlier this year.
What makes Trump’s inclusion particularly interesting is her massive social media presence. She’s built a following that includes over 1.3 million YouTube subscribers, bringing a potentially new audience to the tournament.
The Annika tournament isn’t just notable for Trump’s debut. It’s the penultimate event on the LPGA’s schedule and carries significant importance for players. It’s the final opportunity for competitors to break into the top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe and secure a spot in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark will also be part of the event, competing in the Wednesday pro-am before the tournament begins.
