Kai Trump Rebounds After Poor Opening In First LPGA Tournament

President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, bounced back impressively in her second round at The Annika on Friday, shaving eight strokes off her LPGA debut and showing the kind of composure many veterans take years to learn.

Kai said she felt far more settled during Friday’s round than she had the day before, crediting her improved mental game for the turnaround.

“For the first day I was definitely really nervous. I think the nerves just got to me,” she told Fox News. “When I went out there today, I felt very calm and peaceful… That’s why I played better. I did everything I could possibly have done for this tournament.”

Her steadiness showed. After early trouble on holes three through five, she regrouped and went on a charge — carding birdies on three of the next six holes. Kai said the key was refusing to dwell on mistakes.

“Things are going to happen. Once it happens, you can’t go back in time and fix it,” she said. She told her caddie, Allan, that after the triple bogey, they might as well laugh it off and reset. “It was pretty easy to move on after that.”

Although she placed last in the 108-player field and missed the weekend cut, finishing with a two-round 18-over 158, her effort drew praise from those who know the pressure of the sport at its highest level.

Women’s golf star Charley Hull — a vocal supporter of President Trump — said Kai’s performance was impressive given the challenge of the course and the spotlight on her.

“That’s really good considering this is not just an easy LPGA event. This is probably one of the harder courses that we play,” Hull told Golf Channel. She added that facing a debut under intense scrutiny is no small task: “She had to be so nervous… she’s got a lot of pressure on her and a lot of eyes on her.”

The tournament also unfolded just days after absurd online rumors claimed President Trump was facing a sudden medical crisis. The claims collapsed almost immediately when the president was spotted leaving the White House in full golf attire and heading to Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia.

Wearing golf shoes, black pants, a pullover, and his signature “USA” hat, Trump arrived at his club around 10 a.m., according to the New York Post. On Truth Social, he shared a photo with former NFL coach Jon Gruden, writing: “Great playing Golf with Jon Gruden — A really nice guy, and true character!”

The internet frenzy — marked by trending hashtags like “#TrumpIsDead” and “#WhereIsTrump” — stemmed from nothing more than a blank Labor Day weekend schedule and a brief pause in public events. In reality, Trump had simply taken time away from D.C., with Kai accompanying him to his club the previous weekend.

The claims of illness or death were completely baseless — another example of social media hysteria colliding with the realities of a president who still works, travels, and golfs at a pace that exhausts his critics.