The president’s 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump, has announced her LPGA Tour debut for November 13-16 at the ANNIKA at Pelican Golf Club in Florida, via a sponsor invite. Overjoyed at the news, she explained that it was a dream to compete professionally against top players.
For context, Kai is headed to the University of Miami next year. Speaking about the president, she downplayed golfing with her grandfather: “He’s my grandpa… It’s nothing new.” Officials at the tournament raised her passion for broadening golf’s appeal to youth. Adding more information, she vowed to go pro, promising to “give it my best shot”
In her initial comments, Kai announced the good news.”I am thrilled to announce that I will be making my LPGA Tour debut in November at the ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge. The ANNIKA is at the 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. 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,” she said.
We asked by the press about her realtionship with the president, she noted, “I just don’t view it as him being the president. I view it as, he’s my grandpa. We’re gonna go out there and play golf. We play golf all the time. It’s nothing new,” adding that she wanted to go pro saying, “I’ll try to do that and give it my best shot.”
Offering his reaction, Justin Sheehan, Director of Golf and COO of the Pelican Golf Club, issued his statement, “Kai Trump has a tremendous passion for the game and is expanding the sport to broader audiences. She has a bright future at Miami, and we look forward to welcoming her and our entire tournament field to Pelican Golf Club in November,” Sheehan noted.
Likewise, LPGA Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer Ricki Lasky explained the purpose of the program Kai is involved with. “Sponsor invitations are an important way to spotlight emerging talent and bring new attention to our tournaments and the LPGA,” he said.
Adding on to this previous point, he noted, “Kai’s broad following and reach are helping introduce golf to new audiences, especially among younger fans. We’re excited to see her take this next step in her journey, and we’re proud to work closely with our partners in Tampa Bay whose continued commitment to advancing the women’s game helps elevate the LPGA and expand its visibility.”
"*" indicates required fields
Watch the clip here:
In another statement, Kai Trump expressed her eagerness to play at this tournament, saying, “My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour, and I am thrilled to be able to compete at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican in November. This event will be an incredible experience. I look forward to meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.”
Featured image from embedded video