Kai Trump Gets Pro Tips Ahead of LPGA Debut

Kai Trump has received advice from Tiger Woods, pro golfer Annika Sorenstam, and her grandfather President Donald Trump as she prepares to make her LPGA Tour debut this week.

Kai Trump, an 18-year-old high school senior committed to playing college golf at the University of Miami, received an invitation to The Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Golf Club in Florida. She has nearly 9 million social media followers, which will help bring attention to the event, but she has little experience in competition.

Woods, the 15-time major champion, is in a relationship with Kai Trump’s mother, Vanessa Trump, and gave the teen some tips ahead of the tournament, which she appreciated.

“I mean, he is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,” Kai Trump said Tuesday. “He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens.”

Kai Trump completed nine holes in a pro-am on Monday with tournament host Sorenstam, who is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sorenstam praised the teen.

“I just don’t know how she does it, honestly,” Sorenstam said. “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 what it’s like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times.”

Sorenstam wants the teen to have fun.

“We want her to feel like family here, and I want her to feel welcome,” she said. “I mean, give this girl a chance, right? I think that’s our responsibility this week.”

The exemption to compete in the tournament came from Pelican Golf Club owner Dan Doyle Jr., who is the CEO of Tampa-based DEX Imaging and a donor to Republican campaign committees. Sorenstam invited Wake Forest senior Anne-Sterre den Dunnen, while Gainbridge selected Northwestern All-American Lauryn Nguyen.

Doyle defended the decision to invite Kai Trump, noting that exemptions are generally used to increase event visibility.

“The idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” Doyle said. “You got [to] see (Kai Trump) live. She’s lovely to speak to, and she brought a lot of viewers through Instagram and things like that that normally don’t watch women’s golf.”

The teen also drew encouragement from the president.

“My grandpa pretty much told me go out there and have fun,” she said. “Just don’t get nervous. Try my best not to.”

She called her grandfather “pretty good” at golf, but did not say whether or not she had beaten him.

“I don’t think anybody here is thinking that she will be the one holding the trophy on Sunday,” Sorenstam said. “I spoke to her a little bit yesterday. You know, just make the most out of this week.”

She said Kai Trump will learn lessons during her experience.

“So I wish her the best,” Sorenstam said. “We’ve offered to help her in different ways. I’m very impressed with her, as (are) many others that are here. I want women’s golf to succeed, so we can either do this together or we cannot.”

The tournament begins on Thursday, with a pro-am event the day before.

Reuters contributed to this report.