CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Kai Trump knew more than a year ago that she wanted to go to the University of Miami and play golf for the Hurricanes.<\/p>\n
And the granddaughter of President Donald Trump never changed her mind.<\/p>\n
Miami announced that Kai Trump is part of its women\u2019s golf signing class on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA Division I signing window for most sports. She filled out the letter of intent last week in a ceremony at her high school \u2014 not far from her grandfather\u2019s Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach \u2014 but Miami could not acknowledge her signing or even her commitment until now because of the NCAA rule regarding signing dates.<\/p>\n
How she\u2019ll fare in college is anyone\u2019s guess. But this much is certain: Miami golf is about to be getting a whole lot more attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe view any potential exposure as positive for Miami golf,\u201d Hurricanes coach Janice Olivencia said. \u201cOur current team is a very mature and intelligent group of women. So, we anticipate that we will handle all the attention with great composure and enthusiasm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kai Trump was part of a three-player recruiting class for the Hurricanes, who also signed Bella Dovhey from Orlando and Carlee Rogers from Tennessee. Olivencia said Dovhey \u201cis going to bring the complete package\u201d to the Hurricanes and that Rogers \u2014 one of the top juniors in her state \u2014 \u201cwill come to Coral Gables with a championship pedigree and an impressive record against some of the most elite junior competitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kai Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr., committed to Miami in August 2024. She\u2019s making her LPGA debut<\/a> this week in The Annika<\/a> at Pelican Golf Club, explaining in a news conference there Tuesday why Miami was her pick.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the coaches. It\u2019s close to home. Great school,\u201d Kai Trump said. \u201cI love the people there. My cousins went there as well, so I know people that have gone there. You know, it\u2019s a great university and I\u2019m looking forward playing for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Kai Trump is scheduled to tee off at The Annika on Thursday at 12:32 p.m. Eastern, playing alongside Hinako Shibuno of Japan and Olivia Cowan of Germany.<\/p>\n The eldest granddaughter of the president is an influencer on social media; her behind-the-scenes video from election night has more than 5.1 million views on YouTube, and her video from going to the Ryder Cup with her grandfather has been viewed about 2 million times on YouTube alone. And yes, she plays golf with her grandfather, whose affinity for the game is no secret.<\/p>\n \u201cWe play a lot,\u201d Kai Trump said. \u201cWe have a great time out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Her LPGA debut comes this week courtesy of a sponsor\u2019s exemption. Tournament host and Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam played with Kai Trump earlier this week and said she was impressed by the 17-year-old\u2019s ability to ask questions.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t know how she does it, honestly,\u201d Sorenstam said. \u201cTo be 17 years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I\u2019m sure we can all relate what it\u2019s like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times.\u201d<\/p>\n Kai Trump is open about her strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the game. She\u2019s a big hitter; even Sorenstam was impressed with her length off the tee. The short game \u2014 being able to score around the green \u2014 is a work in progress.<\/p>\n \u201cKai will bring tremendous energy and excitement to Miami,\u201d Olivencia said. \u201cShe\u2019s a multisport athlete with a strong competitive spirit and a true love for the game of golf. Kai is very committed to her growth, both as a player and a person. And her emphasis on development will continue to lead her to new heights.\u201d<\/p>\n The university hasn\u2019t revealed much regarding what it\u2019ll be like to have the president\u2019s granddaughter on campus, but the Hurricanes are hoping that Kai Trump\u2019s college experience will be as normal as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cOur team is very welcoming,\u201d Olivencia said. \u201cThey trust in us to continue to invite players to the program that will contribute in their own way, to raise the level of this team. In addition to that, we\u2019re very fortunate at Miami to have a plethora of resources and great support systems. This class will certainly have the access our current student athletes have at The U from the minute they get on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n