She was nervous, but she gave it her all. Fulfilling a childhood dream is not easy, and Kai Trump’s name made it even harder. So, when the teenager stepped onto the greens of Pelican GC for her LPGA Tour debut at The Annika, she knew she had to be unfazed and resilient to criticisms coming her way.

People questioned whether she deserved the sponsor invite. But the 18-year-old was prepared not to let that get into her head, as her recent comments reveal.

“There’s been a lot of comments,” said Kai in her latest video, ‘I Competed in My First LPGA Event.’  “Especially, I would say, in the news…people are like, ‘Is she good enough or did she shoot this over at Junior Invitational?’…I think that’s what happens when you…get these Invitational…when you’re just out there. But also, there’s a lot of positives…That’s also what happens…you’re going to get love, and you’re going to get hate,” she said.

Kai Trump’s sponsor invite generated a lot of buzz on social media. From allegations of nepotism to political influence, the accusations were numerous. She is ranked 461st in the AJGA, and she sits outside the top 3,000 in the WAGR. In a meritocratic environment, her spot should have gone to any other player, grinding her way on the Tour. Instead, it went to a girl who had posted rounds of 89-79-83-89 at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley.

Her performance didn’t help either, as she missed the cut.

In the first two rounds, she shot 83-75 for 18-over. Her first day was terrible, as Kai picked up nine bogeys and two doubles. The next day was her redemption, with four birdies. But eventually she finished 108th, seventeen shots outside the cut line.

However, there were a few backing Kai Trump’s exemption. “Sponsor invitations are an important way to spotlight emerging talent and bring new attention to our tournaments and the LPGA,” said Ricki Lasky, the LPGA’s Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer.

The same support was seen from tournament host Annika Sorenstam, who urged everyone to give Kai Trump “a chance.” Her request might have emanated from a similar personal experience in her career. Sorenstam teed off at the PGA Tour’s Bank of America Colonial event back in 2003. Despite having 43 LPGA titles under her belt at that time, not everyone was convinced. After all, that was the first time in 50 years a female golfer was teeing off on the PGA Tour. Although she missed the cut by a thin margin, she proved the naysayers wrong.

Apart from Sorenstam, Charley Hull and Nelly Korda also sided with Kai Trump. With such massive backing from notable names, it’s clear that the LPGA didn’t regret a bit about Kai’s presence, no matter the backlash. As they say, every publicity is good publicity, and for the women’s Tour, it indeed worked that way.

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Kai Trump’s unavoidable impact on the LPGA Tour

As per the LPGA’s new chief, Craig Kessler, Kai Trump’s exemption to the tournament was a big gamble. And it worked. Justin Sheehan, Pelican Golf Club’s COO, revealed that ever since Trump’s debut announcement, The ANNIKA became “one of the most talked-about women’s golf tournaments that has probably ever existed.”

As hyperbolic as it sounds, the claim does hold some truth. As per Cision Analytics, the event saw a 180% spike in global media coverage during Friday’s second round. That’s the same round where Trump had a brief rebound. But these are invisible numbers. The physical presence of the crowd also points to the same. Roughly 200 spectators were present for Trump’s opening tee shot. These included young girls, who followed her for autographs. The event also saw a soaring engagement on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

So, yes, it was a success. But still, some people had their inhibitions. Eamon Lynch from Golfweek believes that Kai Trump’s presence took away the attention from the actual event and its other, more talented players. At the same time, now that the Tour saw such a massive success, a question looms as to how it can continue that momentum. Will giving more such exemptions work? Or will it break the core ideals of the sport?

These questions will remain at the forefront for a while, and it’s Craig Kessler’s duty to resolve them. One thing is definitely clear, Kai Trump would not have received the exemption if she weren’t…Kai Trump. She was never going to win the event either; everyone knows that. But her presence fueled something the Tour has long been craving: a well-deserved attention.