“It’s been a dream of mine to compete at the professional level. I’m thankful to the Pelican Golf Club for the invitation and can’t wait to tee it up with the best players in the world,” wrote Kai Trump, expressing her gratitude for her LPGA debut at ANNIKA. This indeed marks a momentous moment in Kai’s career, and it only makes sense for a loving mother like Vanessa to be there for her daughter.

A few hours ago, Vanessa shared a screenshot of The ANNIKA’s Instagram post announcing Kai’s invitation to the event. The post had Kai’s picture with the caption, “Look forward to watching you ❤️.”

This is not the first time that Vanessa has shown such an outwardly supportive attitude toward her 18-year-old daughter. She was happy to see her daughter commit to the University of Miami for the next chapter of her life. However, there have been moments of absence, too. During the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in March, the same time her relationship rumors with Woods garnered attention, Vanessa skipped the event. Unsurprisingly, Kai struggled that week, finishing last after a brutal back nine.

Kai’s invitation to the LPGA’s most closely watched tournament is one is definitely an impressive first step. The Pelican event, held from November 13-16, carries a $3.25 million purse and is known to draw one of the strongest fields outside of the majors. This time too, the list is rich.

Nelly Korda, after an abrupt withdrawal from the International Crown, will be one of the names on the field. Along with her, Charley Hull, Brooke Henderson, and Lexi Thompson are some other names. With such elite golfers on the roster, it does make one wonder what qualification Kai holds to receive an invitation to the event. LPGA’s Chief Officer for Tour Business and Operations, Ricki Lasky, shed light on the matter.

“Sponsor invitations are an important way to spotlight emerging talent and bring new attention to our tournaments and the LPGA,” Lasky told the BBC.

In this scenario, Kai’s numbers back this approach up. She has more than six million combined followers across varied social media platforms. Her YouTube is a great success, with notable people often featuring in her videos. Moreover, she just launched her own apparel and lifestyle label and has become one of the most visible young golfers on social media. Still, for all these strategic approaches, this invitation for the teenager is part of her dream come true.

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, has stayed silent on Kai’s LPGA debut as of yet. He has never said anything about her or her golfing career. It should be noted that his son, Charlie Woods, attends the same school as Kai – The Benjamin School in Palm Beach. They’ve also been seen together at charity events and practice rounds. For his part, Charlie has been making impressive waves in junior golf, impressing his dad. One can only assume that Woods will have good things to say about Kai, too.

And we can support this claim because, apart from huge social media numbers, Kai Trump is, in fact, also a very talented player.

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Kai Trump’s growing golf game shows genuine potential

While much of the attention around Kai Trump is focused on her famous lineage, her talent has also started turning heads. She has steadily built a foundation that reflects a genuine competitive intent. With a +0.5 handicap at Trump International Palm Beach, she plays to a level that qualifies as scratch golf. Meaning she’s capable of competing against strong amateurs and even lower-tier pro players.

Her victories in the 2022 and 2024 Women’s Club Championship at her home course back that up. She has also secured a third-place finish at the South Florida PGA event in July 2025. Meanwhile, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior, she finished 26t,h and at the Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship, she registered a solo 29th. Currently, she’s ranked 461 in the AJGA rankings.

Kai will be joining the University of Miami Hurricanes women’s golf team for the Class of 2030. She made this commitment last year in August, and this step will take her further towards the pinnacle of women’s golf.