2 ways to think about Kai Trump’s controversial LPGA invite

Time is money, and so is attention. The LPGA desperately needs both, and it is set to receive a healthy dose of the former at this week’s event, the Annika, but not only because a handful of the world’s best players, including defending champion Nelly Korda, are teeing it up. 

Bringing extra eyeballs to the proceedings at Pelican Golf Club will be Kai Trump, President Donald Trump’s 18-year-old granddaughter, who has a place in the field by way of a sponsor’s invitation. 

Trump’s LPGA debut — and the debate surrounding the invite — perfectly illustrates a challenge the LPGA and new commissioner Craig Kessler face. 

The Annika is the penultimate event of the season before next week’s CME Group Tour Championship for the top 60 players. In theory, this week should be about the tour building to an exciting finale centered the top players in the game. In reality, most of the discussion surrounding the tournament has centered on Trump’s surprise invite.

A look at Trump on paper tells you that this stage is one she isn’t prepared for. Her Rolex AJGA Ranking is 461. She’s not in the top 3,000 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. At the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in the spring, Trump fired rounds of 89-79-83-89. She is committed to the University of Miami and has dreams of playing on the LPGA one day. 

Kai Trump is at the Pelican because of her last name, and because of her massive social media following that eclipses 8 million across all platforms. 

“Kai is an up-and-coming player,” tournament host Annika Sorenstam said on Golf Channel’s Golf Central. “She is committed to Miami, and she has aspirations of playing [on the LPGA]. I think she adds some excitement to it. 

“She has a lot of followers on social media. She loves the game. It’s super exciting to have her there. That’s what this tournament is about — helping young girls fulfill their dream through the Annika Foundation. … So this is kind of what this tournament is all about. So super excited. There has been a lot of talk and already getting some exposure which we’re excited about.”

Every tournament is given sponsor invites. Sorenstam used hers on Wake Forest senior Anne-Sterre den Dunnen; title sponsor Gainbridge invited Northwestern All-American Lauryn Nguyen; and the club, which is owned by the Doyle family, invited Trump. 

Big scores are likely in (and on) the cards for Trump, and there’s the potential for a circus-like atmosphere to form around her and her group, which could be a detriment to the players trying to play their way into the top 60 for next week’s finale. 

And yet…the Trump invite is also the type of tactic the LPGA might need to gain exposure. You see, the conversation is the point.

“I would imagine, since the Tuesday announcement, that this is one of the most talked-about women’s golf tournaments that has probably ever existed,” Justin Sheehan, chief operating officer of the Pelican, told GOLF’s Michael Bamberger. “It’s on news channels and sports channels. The numbers of social-media impressions, I guess they call it, are staggering. Love it or hate it, it’s getting people to talk about the event.

“We’re on a mission to grow this game. Seeing the impact Caitlin had last year was fairly eye-opening.”

Women’s golf has struggled to gain a foothold, build positive momentum and break through to the larger sports world. There are many reasons for that and many obstacles for Kessler to overcome as he starts his tenure. 

Last year, Korda went on a blistering run. The then-World No. 1 won five straight tournaments, including a major, and finished the year with seven wins. Her exceptional play mirrored Scottie Scheffler’s on the men’s side and coincided with the power surge that Caitlin Clark, who will play in the Annika pro-am for the second consecutive year, was delivering to the WNBA. 

But Korda’s historic season didn’t have the long-term impact the LPGA hoped for. Korda hasn’t won this season, and only current World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and Miyu Yamashita have won multiple tournaments. The LPGA has depth and parity, but a dominant superstar or superstars are what will put the league in front of new audiences and deliver the growth the league seeks.

In an ideal world, the LPGA would get people to tune in this week to see Korda, Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson, Lottie Woad and Rose Zhang without needing a carrot as an entry point. 

But creativity is sometimes needed to spark interest and generate momentum. 

In that sense, having Kai Trump in the field, along with Clark playing in Wednesday’s pro-am, is the type of marketing that might be necessary. It will make the Annika one of the most talked-about LPGA events of the season and perhaps the top draw in the past number of years. If people who might not otherwise engage with the LPGA tune in to watch Trump, there’s a chance they’ll stick around even after she exits. The same is true of those who show up on Wednesday to watch Clark in the pro-am and get exposure to Korda and others.

“I don’t think it’s anything different than any other tournament,” Sorenstam said. “You just want to bring more people into it, more eyeballs as they said and create excitement.”

The Kai Trump exemption is a Rorschach test. 

On one hand, there’s a clear argument that her current playing ability makes her undeserving of a spot in the penultimate event of the LPGA season, with so much on the line for many of the players. Perhaps you’re a golf purist who doesn’t believe sponsor exemptions should exist at all. Perhaps her grandfather plays a role in how you feel about her appearance. It would be naive to think it doesn’t. On the other hand, Kai Trump is a celebrity and celebrities bring attention, which can lead to growth and money. The LPGA needs to find a way to generate and keep generating all of the above. 

Your stance on the issue ultimately depends on your view of the bigger picture for women’s golf and the avenues you believe are available to solve the LPGA’s biggest conundrum.