Kai Trump is pushing through pain, and she’s no longer keeping it private. The 18-year-old golfer opened up about a physically draining recovery that has tested her limits. Between intense workouts, visible scarring, and therapy sessions she admits are “terrible,” Kai offered fans an unfiltered look at what life has been like behind the scenes.

“My hands actually moving a lot better now, which is good. So, I’m able to go to LA fly. If my hand was not moving this good, I would have not been able to fly. But luckily, my PT says that I am good to fly. So, hopefully we just don’t go backwards, which I don’t know. I feel like we’re in a good spot right now. So, I hit 45° all around, which I was a little behind for a little because rehab is tough,” Kai Trump revealed in a YouTube video she uploaded on her channel.

“My PT just started doing my scar tissue massage to break up the scar tissue. That has been terrible. You got to do that in order to move it and have good range of motion. And that’s all that matters because I’m a golfer and I need to be able to move my wrist. So, at least I’m getting to the point where we do the scar tissue massage and then ton of other stuff. But it’s not fun. It’s been kind of bad.”

Kai Trump underwent surgery on January 7, 2026, at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute in Pennsylvania. It was performed by Dr. Thomas Graham, Chief of Jefferson Orthopedics. The successful procedure was done to repair injuries to the stabilizing tissues of her extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon and damage to her triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). These issues stemmed from pain linked to her golf swing.

By mid-February 2026, she started with light post-surgery workouts. She shared an Instagram post of her first workout post-surgery. Notably, her mother, Vanessa Trump, showed her support by liking the post.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

It seems that the workout and recovery methods have intensified since then. Besides the grueling recovery advised by her physical trainer, she also works out on her own. In the YouTube video, she revealed that she had already worked out and had gone for a 2-mile run with her trainer, Alex. And she was still doing some more workouts, while ensuring her wrist was not affected by it.

As she revealed, this is important to her because she is pursuing a career as a golfer. Kai Trump made her LPGA debut at The ANNIKA 2025, alongside elites like Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson, and others. Even Caitlin Clark was there at the event to play in the Pro-Am.

Although the results fell short of her expectations, she continues working to make her name in the golf world.

Kai Trump maps out long-term ambitions

While baking banana bread with friend Emma Markin, Trump outlined her career ambitions in a YouTube video. She revealed that she will play college golf at the University of Miami. This was pretty much clear when she signed her National Letter of Intent in November 2025.

But apart from that, she shared more about what lies ahead.

“Continue my social media content stuff, whatever. And then, really afterwards, I want to go professional. Play professional golf for a while and continue doing my social media stuff,” Kai Trump said in the video.

To make a name for herself in professional golf, she needs to cover a lot of distance in her journey. She currently ranks 457th-461st in the AJGA and is outside the top 1,000 juniors worldwide. In fact, her LPGA debut at The ANNIKA 2025 finished with a missed cut in the last position after a score of 18-over in two rounds.

The University of Miami student also hinted at possible business ventures. She plans to launch her own brand and already has a few ideas in mind.

As she maps out her long-term ambitions, Kai Trump is making it clear that the setback from her injury is only a temporary pause. Despite demanding rehab and relentless training, she remains determined to make it in professional golf. Thus, what’s going on in her life right now seems like the groundwork for the professional future she refuses to give up on.