Pressure doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it shows up quietly. For Kai Trump, playing at The ANNIKA on a sponsor exemption, that moment arrived on hole 17.  She’d already compared the first tee shot on her LPGA debut to something more nerve-wracking than speaking at the RNC. Trump chunked a wedge shot, not because of technique, but because of a visibility issue as the Florida sun dipped low.

“I couldn’t see because the sun was going down, so it kind of like threw me off, and that’s why I chunked it,” said Kai to the media. Most 18-year-olds would spiral. Trump did the opposite. She reached back to the advice Tiger Woods had given her before the tournament.

“Afterwards, I’m like, you know what? I know this is my type of shot, just a tight little draw in, and I’ve hit that shot multiple times. I kind of just trusted myself, and I did it. You’ve got to bounce back. You can’t dwell on a bad shot. If I were dwelling on a bad shot, it would make my life harder, so I kind of just moved on from it,” said Kai, reflecting Woods’s advice of going with the flow.

When Tiger told Kai, “go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens,” he wasn’t just throwing out motivational clichés. He knew Trump through a personal connection—her mother, Vanessa Trump, is reportedly in a relationship with the 15-time major champion. That relationship gave Trump access to one of golf’s sharpest minds. On hole 17, Woods’s words became her reality. From 129 yards with her 46-degree wedge, she executed a tight draw into the wind.

Trump’s composure wasn’t limited to one hole. Despite the nerves and doubles, she stayed remarkably steady throughout. Even during an unknown delay on the 18th, she and her caddie, Allan, talked about where they’d eat dinner after the round instead of obsessing over golf.

“Me and my caddie, Allan were talking about where we’re going to eat after the round. Really did not even think about the shot at all,” she shared. The University of Miami recruit finished dead last in the 108-player field after signing for a 13-over 83. She made nine bogeys and two double bogeys. However, ground reports reveal the gallery surrounding her was comparable to a Championship Sunday, and reportedly, Secret Service agents were also present.

Nevertheless, Trump kept the focus on golf with the aim of a respectable finish, and this wasn’t the first time Tiger Woods influenced Kai Trump’s journey.

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Kai Trump and Tiger Woods built a connection before the LPGA debut

Earlier in 2025, the two appeared together at the Genesis Invitational for a TaylorMade promotional event. Woods had just lost his mother and withdrew from competition. Still, he showed up—wearing his iconic Sunday red.

Trump played in the Pro-Am that week alongside Rory McIlroy. Despite challenging weather, her pin-seeking approach shots caught attention. It was an early preview of the mental toughness that would surface months later at The ANNIKA.

The mentorship between Woods and Trump has evolved from a casual family connection to genuine competitive guidance. Both Trump and Charlie Woods attend the same school in Palm Beach, Florida. They’ve competed in some of the same junior events. Comparisons between the two rising stars are inevitable.

On a late November afternoon in Florida, with fading light and mounting pressure, Trump didn’t just remember Woods’s advice. She lived it. Kai Trump will tee off with Olivia Cowan and Hinako Shibuno during Round 2.