Kai Trump shares what Tiger Woods told her before her LPGA debut as she reveals whether president will attend

Kai Trump is set to make her professional golf debut at the age of just 18 this week. Fortunately for her, she has someone all too familiar with the pressures of the spotlight in her corner.

Kai, the granddaughter of President Donald Trump, will tee it up at The ANNIKA, the penultimate tournament of the LPGA's season this week, having received a sponsor's exemption. 

To take on the likes of World No 2 Nelly Korda before even graduating high school is a daunting challenge for Kai, who signed with the University of Miami last week.

Yet, as the First Granddaughter sat in front of a room packed with members of the media for her pre-tournament press conference at The Pelican Club, she displayed a remarkable air of calm and confidence. 

And while that may be unsurprising given the nature of her presidential grandfather, it appears the Commander-in-Chief wasn't the only one she turned to ahead of her high-profile debut. 

Kai revealed that she had sought advice from none other than 15-time major winner Tiger Woods before taking to the fairways this week.

'He is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person,' she gushed when asked about the golfing legend's influence.

'He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens,' she added.

Kai has been fortunate to spend time with the icon amid her mother Vanessa Trump's relationship with Woods, which has seen the rising golfer to attend TGL events - the tech-infused golf league founded by Woods - and the 2025 Genesis Invitational earlier this year.

Woods and Vanessa, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr., went public with their relationship in March. Kai also attends The Benjamin School, where Woods's children Sam and Charlie also study. 

The couple reportedly met and bonded over their children Kai and Charlie and their shared pursuit of golf. 

However, Woods, a five-time Masters winner, isn't the only golfing influence in her life. Kai has grown up on the fairways with her grandfather, a renowned avid golfer himself.

'My grandpa pretty much told me go out there and have fun. Just don't get nervous. Try my best not to,' she shared when asked about the president's words of wisdom.

Kai and Trump frequently bond over 18 holes with the president even making a cameo on her YouTube channel.

While Kai admitted that the pair share a lot of tight matches, she revealed that Trump, who has stolen the show at a number of high profile sports events since his inauguration in January, wouldn't be among the crowds at The Pelican Club this week. 

'He's running the world right now, so a little busy,' she joked. 

'To me he's just a normal grandpa. Always has been. There is nothing different I would say,' she added. 

This week's tournament marks a gargantuan leap for Kai, who will be tackling the biggest event of her career before even competing at collegiate level.

And it's a fact that isn't lost on her as she admitted: 'It's really cool to say that I'm playing my first LPGA event and I'm only a senior in high school.'

The LPGA tournament is echelons above anything on Kai's existing resume. Her most high-profile competition to date came this spring at the Junior Invitational - one of the world's most prestigious junior golf events. 

Kai struggled at Sage Valley in South Carolina, finishing rock-bottom of the leaderboard, but she has refused to let that deter her as she prepares to take on the sport's biggest names. 

'I didn't play so well but I think I learned a lot in that tournament not playing well,' she confessed. 

'I learned a lot about my game, what I have to work on, where I have to be. And I would say that was the biggest one and that's really the one I learned the most from in my golf so far.' 

Kai will put that newfound knowledge to the test when she tees off in Thursday's first round in Belleair, Florida.