Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, endured a disastrous start to her collegiate golf career at the 2026 Golfweek Fall Classic at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. The 19-year-old not only had to settle for a disappointing finish, but also aggravated a wrist injury in the first round of the event and required medical attention. Trump hopes the setback is not serious enough to keep her sidelined, as she revealed the details of what happened. 

“I kind of had a re-injury to my wrist in the tournament,” Trump said in a video shared on social media. “My first college tournament, I hit the ground next to the cart path. Let’s just say there must have been some concrete underneath that ground because it was very hard. I hit it, and I felt like a shock on my arm. Then on the 10th hole, I hit my driver, and I felt like I tore it again.

“I didn’t fully tear it and just have a little sliver on my TFCC, which is good because that means I can do these stem cells and I can get better. I was talking surgery, and I can get better faster, so that’s always a blessing. So I’m going to get my stem cells done now, and I’ll see you guys at the next one.”

This comes after Kai Trump injured her left wrist in November 2025, around the time of her LPGA Tour debut at The Annika in Florida. As the youngest competitor in the field, the then 18-year-old finished well back of the leaders. In any case, the injury prompted roughly two months of conservative care that included casting in hopes of natural healing. 

When the pain persisted, Trump underwent surgery in January 2026 at the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute. Dr. Thomas Graham, chief of Jefferson Orthopedics, repaired damage to the stabilizing tissues of her extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon and addressed injury to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC). 

In an Instagram post, the then-18-year-old announced the successful procedure and expressed optimism about her rehabilitation, saying she looked forward to playing golf pain-free. In later updates, Trump described the repaired wrist as feeling “bionic,” noting the need for specialized warm-ups. 

She also reported lingering muscle loss in the arm and compensatory issues, including shoulder discomfort, as she rebuilt strength for her collegiate career at the University of Miami. That being said, how did Donald Trump’s granddaughter perform in her first collegiate tournament? 

Kai Trump had a difficult collegiate debut

Making her collegiate debut for the Miami Hurricanes, Trump competed as an individual at the event and finished tied for 102nd in the 120-player field. The 19-year-old opened with a 7-over 78 before improving to a 5-over 76 in the second round. However, she struggled again in the final round, carding a 10-over 81 to finish the tournament at 22-over.

Trump began Tuesday’s round with two pars before a difficult stretch saw her make six consecutive bogeys. She briefly steadied herself with four straight pars, but another bogey-triple-bogey stretch hurt her chances of recovering. She did manage to end on a slightly positive note, making birdie on the par-5 eighth.

In the end, Kai Trump appears to have had a difficult first collegiate tournament. Hopefully, her injury won’t keep her away from the game for long.