Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of former US President Donald Trump, made her long-anticipated LPGA Tour debut at the Annika tournament in Florida this week. Despite showing noticeable improvement in her second round, Trump missed the cut, finishing 18-over par overall, placing last in the 108-player field.

A Promising Debut Amidst Nerves

Competing as a sponsor exemption, Trump drew large galleries and media attention for her first LPGA appearance. Her opening round on Thursday proved challenging, as nerves seemed to get the better of the young amateur, resulting in a round of 83.

However, her second round showed clear progress. Trump carded four birdies on the third, seventh, 11th, and 12th holes, almost achieving a hole-in-one with a near-perfect eight-iron from 140 yards. Despite the triple-bogey seven on the par-four fifth, she displayed resilience and composure on the course.

“For the first day I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,” Trump said. “When I went out there today I felt very calm and peaceful to be honest with you. That’s why I played better.”

She also managed to par the challenging 18th hole for the second consecutive day, demonstrating a steady approach to some of the course’s toughest layouts.

Performance Metrics and Impressions

While Trump finished last on the leaderboard at 18-over par, her statistical performance was notable for an amateur making her LPGA debut. She averaged 241 yards off the tee, hitting 11 of 14 fairways—an impressive feat on one of the tour’s most difficult courses.

“That’s really good, considering this is not just an easy LPGA event, this is probably one of the harder courses that we play on,” commented England’s Charley Hull, who finished five-under and four strokes behind joint leaders Linn Grant (Sweden) and Grace Kim (Australia).

Other notable performances included world number two Nelly Korda, who sits in a five-way tie for sixth at six-under par after a stunning seven-under 63 on Friday.

Looking Ahead: College Golf and Future Potential

Trump has already committed to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami starting next year. With only three events played this season and a current ranking of 461 in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), her debut on the LPGA Tour has nevertheless left a positive impression among players and fans alike.

“Things are going to happen. Once it happens, you can’t go back in time and fix it,” Trump reflected on her triple-bogey. “The best thing I could do is move on. We got that out of the way, so let’s just move on.”

Though the cut may have eluded her, Trump’s composure, driving distance, and fairway accuracy indicate a promising future in professional and collegiate golf. Fans will be watching closely to see how she develops in the coming years.