Copyright Forbes
When the best female golfers on the planet tee off this week in Florida for the ANNIKA at Pelican Golf Club, the most famous name in the field may not be any of them. Kai Trump, eldest granddaughter of President Trump and her combined social media following of about 8 million people will be in the field after getting a sponsors invitation. In late October, when Kai Trump received one of three exemptions into the ANNIKA, it set off a firestorm of opinions. The furore was partly due to the current state of politics in America mixed with her lack of an amatuer resume that many deemed not worthy of the exemption. Trump, who committed to the University of Miami earlier this year, is currently the 461st ranked junior girl in the Rolex AJGA(American Junior Golf Association) rankings. She played in three AJGA events this season, where she had a stroke average of 83.6. She has never played in any USGA amateur events and is not among the 3,000 females listed in the WAGR (World Amateur Golf Rankings). So to say that it is a big leap for her to play an LPGA event is an understatement, but in this day and age, exemptions are about more than just ability, they are about getting eyeballs on an event. “The idea of the exemption, when you go into the history of exemptions, is to bring attention to an event,” Pelican Golf Club owner Dan Doyle Jr. said. “You got to see her live, she’s lovely to speak to. And she’s brought a lot of viewers through Instagram, and things like that, who normally don’t watch women’s golf. That was the hope. And we’re seeing that now.” A lot of viewers may be a bit of an understatement. The 2.5 millions followers that she has on Instagram is not even her largest platform. Her Tik Tok account has about 3.4 million followers and she has another 1.3 million subscribers to her YouTube channel. So there is a strategic aspect to this exemption which is to put more eyes on both the event and the LPGA Tour as a whole. MORE FOR YOU Using sponsor’s exemptions to gain exposure to an event is nothing new. Most sponsors are looking to not only gain exposure, but to also grow their bottom line and companies. Even the PGA Tour has done this in the past, former NFL quarterback Tony Romo, an accomplished amateur player, has played in multiple PGA Tour events on sponsor’s exemptions. Steph Curry has done the same on the Korn Ferry Tour. As she gets ready to play her first LPGA Tour event, she has some famous names to lean on for advice. Advice From Tiger Woods This week, Kai revealed that she sought advice from 15-time major champion Tiger Woods leading up to the event. Woods is currently dating Kai’s mother and his son Charlie also attends the Benjamin School, the same high school Trump attends. “He is the best golfer in the entire world. I would say that. And even better person. He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens,” she said. Advice From President Trump With 8 million followers on social media platforms, one would think Kai Trump is the most famous golfer in the family, but she comes in a distant second to her grandfather. President Trump, is not only a golf lover, but also owns multiple courses worldwide. The two have played many rounds together, including on Kai’s YouTube channel. "He’s pretty good," Kai said about her grandfather. When asked if she has ever beaten him, she paused. "I'll leave that up to you to decide," she said. "I don't know. We play a lot. We have a great time out there." Kai did give away that President Trump will not be attending the ANNIKA to watch his granddaughter. "He's running the world right now, so a little busy," Kai said. Regardless of your thoughts on whether Kai Trump’s golf resume merits a sponsors exemption, one thing is for sure… there will be more people watching this LPGA tournament because of her involvement. The LPGA Tour is hoping she will help them grow with the younger audience. “Kai’s broad following and reach are helping introduce golf to new audiences, especially among younger fans,” said Ricki Lasky, LPGA Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer, in a release last month. “We’re excited to see her take this next step in her journey, and we’re proud to work closely with our partners in Tampa Bay whose continued commitment to advancing the women’s game helps elevate the LPGA and expand its visibility.”
