Kai Trump defended her performance at The Annika 2025 LPGA Tour event, after finishing last on the leaderboard as she insisted that despite her struggles, many of her shots were solid, just landing in the wrong locations.
Trump was invited to compete on a sponsor exemption and posted a 13-over 83 in the opening round and her nerves and inexperience were evident, and she struggled to convert opportunities, ultimately failing to make a single birdie during her first LPGA appearance.
“I was definitely more nervous than I expected,” Kai said to ASAP Sports. “But I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there. I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots.
“And obviously being, you know, my first LPGA event, now I kind of know how it goes. I felt like a little out of order in the beginning but I kind of got it going afterwards. Yeah, I mean, I learned a lot.
“It was amazing. I had a great time out there. Yeah, didn’t play the way I wanted obviously, but for my first event ever I think I played pretty good.”
Her round started with a bogey on the 10th hole, followed by three consecutive bogeys. A par on the 14th provided brief relief, but mistakes on the 15th, 17th, and back nine, including double bogeys, resulted in a 13-over finish and last place on the leaderboard.
Trump worked closely with her caddie Allan Kournikova, who is the half-brother of tennis star Anna Kournikova, as she explained that keeping her mind off each shot helped maintain focus.
Light conversation and routine preparation helped her manage the mental pressure of her debut, allowing the teenager to continue focusing on improving her game.
“Me and my caddie, Allan, we were talking about where we’re going to eat after the round,” Kai added. “Really did not even think about the shot at all.
“Once we kind of saw them start moving we’re like, all right, it’s time to get back in the zone. Didn’t really talk about anything golf related.
“You don’t want to stand over a shot and think long about it. You just want to go up there and do your routine and hit the shot.”
The tournament featured top LPGA Tour golfers including Nelly Korda and Charley Hull. Hull shot a 3-under 67 despite arriving late with minimal practice, while Korda tied for 54th.
Trump finished 12 strokes below the projected cutline, highlighting the difficulty of professional play.
BBC issues apology to Kai’s grandfather Donald
Meanwhile, within the Trump family, her grandfather will be waking up to the news that he has received an apology from Britain’s BBC over a doctored January 2021 Panorama speech.
The network showed the current President appearing to call for an attack on the Capitol building, in what they have described as an “error of judgement” and confirmed the programme will not be broadcast in that form again across any platforms.
“The BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited,” A spokesperson said, while disputing that a defamation claim exists.
Trump had accused the corporation of misleading the public, alleging the clip implied he encouraged the Capitol riots shortly after Joe Biden had won the 2020 General Election campaign.
Trump’s lawyer Alejandro Brito demanded the removal of statements deemed “false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory,” warning that noncompliance could trigger a lawsuit seeking at least $1 billion in damages.
No legal action has yet been filed but the apology highlights continuing disputes over media representation and accuracy.
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