Eighteen-year-old amateur Kai Trump, the eldest granddaughter of former US President Donald Trump, struggled in her LPGA debut at The Annika in Florida, shooting a 13-over-par 83 and finishing at the bottom of the opening round.
Trump, who received a sponsor’s exemption to play the event, said she was more nervous than she expected but felt she struck many good shots that didn’t end up in the right places. She acknowledged feeling a bit out of sync early on but said she began to settle into the round as it progressed.
Starting on the back nine alongside Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and Germany’s Olivia Cowan, Trump drew applause when introduced at the par-4 10th and again after finding the fairway with her first tee shot. Ranked 461st in the American Junior Golf Association standings and viewed as an unlikely contender this week, she bogeyed her first four holes before posting a par at the par-5 14th. She traded bogeys and pars down the stretch and reached the turn at six-over 41.
After the turn she dropped another shot, then recorded two double bogeys over a four-hole span and added two more bogeys in her final three holes to close at 13-over.
England’s Charley Hull and Ireland’s Leona Maguire got off to solid starts and sat three shots back of the lead. South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran climbed to the top of the leaderboard with a six-under-par 64, holding a one-shot advantage over Australia’s Grace Kim. Trump’s appearance came a day after the University of Miami announced she has committed to play for the Hurricanes beginning in the 2026–27 season.