Given the scale of Donald Trump’s golfing empire and obsession, perhaps it was only a matter of time until one of his descendants attempted to join the professional ranks.
It was announced this week that the president’s 18-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump, will make her debut on the LPGA Tour after accepting a sponsor’s exemption to play in The Annika, a showpiece tournament in Florida with a total purse of £2.45million.
The teenager, who is set to enrol at Miami University on a golf scholarship later this year, is extremely unlikely to be in contention at The Pelican golf club considering she is outside the top 450 in the US junior rankings and finished last at the illustrious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in March with a score of 52 over par.
Her handicap is listed as +0.5 at Trump International Palm Beach, a fine feat in itself, and she does boast one third-place finish on the South Florida PGA Medalist Tour, but not even the “cheating” antics that allegedly earned the US president the nickname “Pelé” for kicking his ball into a better position will bridge the gap to a field featuring the best players in the world.
Donald Trump Jr with a three-year-old Kai at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester in New York
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“My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” the teenage Trump said in a statement announcing her participation. “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.”
The decision to extend Trump an invitation has been met with criticism in some quarters, but it is an obvious marketing ploy given she has a combined following of six million between her Instagram and TikTok accounts alone. On her YouTube channel, which has 1.33 million subscribers, Trump has posted videos playing alongside her grandfather, as well as Rory McIlroy.
The fact the eponymous LPGA event is hosted by Annika Sorenstam, the ten-times major champion regarded as one of the greatest players in history, also makes the decision to invite Trump less surprising. Sorenstam, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021, the day after rioters stormed the US Capitol, has been an outspoken admirer of the Trump administration.
Kai’s mother, Vanessa, is dating Tiger Woods, with whom Kai attended the Genesis Invitational event in February.
With six million followers across her social media accounts, the 18-year-old is a marketer’s dream
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“Sponsor invitations are an important way to spotlight emerging talent and bring new attention to our tournaments and the LPGA,” Ricki Lasky, the LPGA’s chief operations officer, said. “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.”
Trump’s participation will come with plenty of unenviable scrutiny, although that will perhaps still pale in comparison with the Ryder Cup in New York in September, where she stood behind bulletproof glass next to her grandfather at the front of the 1st-tee grandstand.
But whether unfettered access to the Trump Organization’s portfolio of championship courses growing up, an unusual wealth of experience playing alongside top players with her grandfather (not to mention the dozens of armed security guards that follow him), and a sponsorship deal with TaylorMade can translate to a thriving professional career on merit remains to be seen.