Golf has long defined the life and legacy of Tiger Woods. As a 15-time Major champion and one of the most influential figures in modern sport, the game is inseparable from his identity.
Since publicly confirming his relationship with Vanessa Trump in March 2025, it has become increasingly clear that golf also plays a meaningful role in her life – and not just because her daughter is a budding star.
While Vanessa, 48, has been widely recognized for her modeling career and as the former daughter-in-law of President Donald Trump, her own affinity for golf remained largely under the radar – until recently.
That changed when her daughter, Kai Trump, shed light on her mother’s competitive edge in a candid YouTube video.
“I just love putting. I love putting. I spend a lot of time practicing putting, um, I do love golf. I do,” Vanessa said in the clip.
The admission surprised some viewers, particularly given her daughter’s impressive résumé in the sport. Yet Kai, 18, revealed that her mother’s skills on the green are no exaggeration.
Kai Trump’s surprising admission about mother Vanessa
“It’s funny though because she’s actually beat me at putting a few times,” she said. “I’m not the best putter. I am a great putter in tournaments here and there, but somehow you always, I don’t know.”
The lighthearted exchange took place while the pair baked Valentine’s Day cookies, but their conversation soon turned to golf.
During the discussion, Kai asked her mother directly whether she loved the game. In response, Vanessa emphasized that she was the one who introduced her children to golf in the first place.
Although she did not formally coach them, she encouraged her children to take up the sport, a decision that has paid significant dividends in her daughter’s development.
An emerging name in American amateur golf, Kai has made notable strides in recent years.
She captained the varsity team at The Benjamin School, demonstrating leadership as well as competitive ability. In 2026, she committed to the women’s golf team at the University of Miami, marking a major step toward collegiate competition.
Her résumé also includes high-profile tournament appearances. In 2025, Kai made her LPGA debut at The Annika. Though she shot 83 and 75 and missed the cut, the experience placed her among elite competition at a young age.
On the club level, she has enjoyed more immediate success. She captured the 2022 Women’s Club Championship and followed it with victory at the 2024 Ladies Club Championship at Trump International Palm Beach. Given those accomplishments, her admission that her mother can out-putt her on occasion adds an unexpected twist.
Vanessa sacrificed modeling to be a mother
Beyond golf, Vanessa has also reflected openly on the personal sacrifices she made to prioritize her family. In the same video, she addressed stepping away from her modeling and acting career.
“One thing I did do for my kids is I put my career aside. I was doing modeling and acting, and I was also going to night school until I had Donnie and became a psychologist,” she added.
“If I had to go back and change it, I think I would have continued my career and my education. I think that I would have finished even if it had taken me 10 years to take a class here and there. I think I would have finished my child psychology degree.”
Now, with Kai entering adulthood and carving her own path in competitive golf, Vanessa finds herself balancing family pride with a new chapter alongside Woods.
And if she ever wants to refine her putting stroke further, she has access to arguably the finest mind the sport has produced right at home.
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