The prediction came from a young spectator watching the First Granddaughter practice at Pelican Golf Club: "Kai, she's not big yet but she will be. She'll be the biggest name." On Thursday, that forecast appeared to be coming true as Kai Trump headlined the LPGA's penultimate event of the season.
A Highly Anticipated Debut
Approximately 200 spectators crowded around the 10th tee box to witness the 18-year-old high school senior begin her professional golf debut at The ANNIKA tournament in Belleair, Florida. The atmosphere was electric as fans jostled with Secret Service agents, armed with mobile phones and tournament flags they hoped would bear Kai's signature.
The teenager had received one of three sponsor exemptions to compete in the $3.25 million tournament, with organisers openly acknowledging that her massive social media following and the attention it would bring played a significant role in their decision.
Reality Bites on the Course
Despite the initial excitement, the crowd's enthusiasm quickly diminished as Kai's performance unfolded. By the time she walked off the green of her fourth hole, the spectator count had dropped to just 50 people. The reality became apparent that the young golfer was struggling to keep pace with professional competitors.
Kai had already fallen to four-over through the first four holes, and by the end of play, that number had slumped to 13-over, placing her at the bottom of the leaderboard.
The contrast was striking compared to the previous day, when WNBA star Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates had created a frenzy with their mere presence on the fairways.
Technical Challenges and Silver Linings
Annika Sorenstam, the golf legend after whom the tournament is named, had played a practice round with Kai earlier in the week and accurately predicted where the challenges would lie. While she noted that driving wouldn't be an issue for the teenager, problems would emerge around the greens - a prediction that proved accurate during Thursday's round.
Playing alongside Germany's Olivia Cowan and major champion Hinako Shibuno, Kai demonstrated impressive power off the tee, safely finding eight of 14 fairways and matching her professional partners for distance. However, her performance on the greens told a different story, with the young golfer managing to land her ball on the putting surface just seven times in regulation.
Despite the scorecard struggles, Kai maintained remarkable composure throughout the round, displaying confidence that seemed inherited from her presidential grandfather. She kept her head up and a smile on her face, followed supportively by her mother, Vanessa Trump.
"I was definitely more nervous than I expected, but I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there," Kai admitted following the round. "I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots."
Looking Forward
While not even the most optimistic observer could envision Kai making the cut on Friday or lifting the trophy on Sunday, tournament host Annika Sorenstam had put the experience in perspective earlier in the week: "I don't think anybody here is thinking that she will be the one holding the trophy on Sunday. It's about opportunities and memories and lessons learned."
Kai herself reflected positively on the experience, noting that her nerves finally settled after conquering the challenging 18th hole. "After I hit my shot into 18," she explained, "that was honestly the hole I was worried most about and par'd that and I felt like, all right, now we got that out of the way; let's keep moving on."
Despite finding herself in a familiar position at the bottom of the leaderboard, the 18-year-old remained the youngest member of the field - and for any teenager, simply maintaining steady bogey golf in a professional tournament represents an impressive achievement.
