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President Donald Trump’s grandson, Kai, is at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., to make his LPGA debut this week.
The 18-year-old received a sponsorship exemption for The ANNIKA, given to new golfers to showcase their talents.
Ahead of her big weekend, Trump said she got advice from none other than Grandpa himself, who kept it short and sweet.
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Kai Trump plays a shot before the TGL presented by SoFi match between Jupiter Links Golf Club and Boston Common Golf at the SoFi Center on January 27, 2025 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/TGL/TGL via Getty Images)
“Go out there and have fun. Just don’t get nervous,” she said.
Tiger Woods, who is currently dating Trump’s mother, Vanessa — Don Jr.’s ex-wife — also gave Trump advice.
“I mean, he’s the best golfer in the whole world. I’d say that. And an even better person,” she said. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”
Trump played a practice round with Annika Sorenstam, the host of the tournament that bears her name, and the LPGA legend had nothing but praise for the youngster.
“I talked to her about my tendencies and said, ‘What are your tendencies?’ And she went out, ‘this is what I do and I try to do it.’ She’s really interested in just getting better and learning about her swing…” she said via the Golf Channel. “Just the excitement of learning and getting better, I thought that was pretty cool. I was trying to remember if I was 18 and I would play with someone if I would dare to ask a question. I probably would have been super quiet.”
President Donald Trump watches his grandson, Kai Trump, play golf at Trump National Doral Miami on October 27, 2022 in Miami, Florida, one day ahead of the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Miami. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Going out there and playing a big court and an environment like this, I’m sure she’s used to a lot of people watching her and analyzing everything,” Sørenstam added. “One thing that’s different this year is that I’ve never seen so many Secret Service people around here; I feel super safe, it’s a different thing… I just don’t know how she does it honestly. To be 18 years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I’m sure we can all relate to what it’s like to get criticized here and I just want that a thousand times over and I want to. give her a break, come out here and have fun We want her to feel like family here and I want her to feel welcome.
“I mean, give this girl a chance, right?”
Nelly Korda is the reigning champion of The ANNIKA, and also won the event in 2021 and 2022.
Trump has gained a following on social media, mostly through YouTube, and recently posted a video of her playing with her grandfather at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC, and the two attended the Ryder Cup.
“I just don’t look at it like he’s president. I look at it like he’s my grandfather. We go out there and play golf,” Kai said in a recent interview with Pakinomist Digital. “We play golf all the time. It’s nothing new.”
In that interview, Trump reiterated his goal of going pro.
President Donald Trump walks in the middle with his granddaughter Kai Trump and her mother Vanessa Trump during the ProAm prior to the LIV Golf Team Championship on October 27, 2022 at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Doral, Florida. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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“I’m going to try to do it and give it my best shot.”
