- Kai Trump was last after day 1 of her LPGA debut
- Trump received a sponsor’s exemption to play in The Annika
- Her grandfather gave Annika Sorenstam the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2021
Kai Trump made her first start on the LPGA Tour this week as a sponsor’s exemption at The Annika.
Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of President Donald Trump, received a special invite from Annika Sorenstam, the host of this week’s LPGA event. The eldest of Donald Trump Jr.’s five children, Kai has become a golf influencer on social media.
Kai’s prominence rose after her appearance at the 2024 Republican National Convention. Her YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok accounts have since amassed more than six million subscribers and followers, where she regularly posts from the golf course.
Sorenstam, among the greatest women to ever play the game, last month announced a sponsor’s exemption to Trump.
My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour, and I am thrilled to be able to compete at The Annika,” Trump said in accepting the tee time. “This event will be an incredible experience. I look forward to meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.”
Trump’s mother is Vanessa Trump, who went on to date Tiger Woods following her divorce from Trump Jr.
Dead Last
Expectations were low for Kai Trump’s LPGA debut. The high school senior, who will attend the University of Miami next fall and play on the golf team, nonetheless attracted considerable betting action before the first round of The Annika teed off on Thursday.
BetMGM told Casino.org that Trump was on 5.6% of the tournament’s bets, the third most among the 108-player field. Trump was responsible for only 0.2% of the overall money, as most tickets were small wagers on the long shot. However, 0.2% still ranked 22nd among the field.
Following an opening round of 83, Trump sat in dead last. Her score of 13 over par was four shots higher than Benedetta Moresco at +9, who ended day one in 107th.
With the projected cut line around even par, Trump has essentially been eliminated from the weekend. That means all of those BetMGM bets stay with the sportsbook.
Trump’s odds of doing the unimaginable and somehow still winning The Annika are at +100000, or implied odds of 0.1%. A $1 bet on that line would net $1,000 if it wins.
Florida, Trump Connections
Trump grew up in Florida, where she attended the private, prestigious The Benjamin School in Palm Beach. Tuition for high school students is about 40K a year.
The Annika is played across the peninsula at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair near Tampa.
President Trump bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Sorenstam in January 2021, just one day after the Jan. 6 Capitol events. Sorenstam, Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford, and Arnold Palmer are the only professional golfers to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump said the medal recognized Sorenstam’s career, which he said “forever changed the way women’s golf is played.”
The post Kai Trump LPGA Debut Easy Money for Sportsbooks appeared first on Casino.org.
