President Donald Trump's granddaughter and aspiring golf pro said she reinjured her wrist at her first collegiate tournament.
Kai Trump is a freshman at the University of Miami. Earlier this month, Kai Trump competed as an individual for the Hurricanes at the2026 Golfweek Fall Classic at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. She tied for 102nd in the 120-player field.
In a video shared on social media on Sept. 23, the 19-year-old revealed she aggravated the previous injury during the event when a shot near a cart path struck unexpectedly hard ground beneath the grass.
"I kind of had a re-injury to my wrist in the tournament," Trump said. "My first college tournament, I hit the ground next to the cart path. Let's just say
there must have been some cart path underneath that ground because it was very hard."
Kai Trump has long praised her grandfather, and though she has said she has no interest in politics, she follows in his footsteps for the love of golf. The beginning of her career as a college athlete comes as Congress is trying to regulate college sports after the ability to get name, image and likeness deals (NIL) have drastically changed the game. Kai Trump has her own band deals. Here is what to know:
Kai Trump undergoing treatment for wrist injury
Kai Trump's injury is particularly concerning because she only recently returned from left wrist surgery that addressed damage to the stabilizing tissues of her ECU tendon and her fibrocartilage complex.
"I hit it, and I felt like a shock on my arm," she said. "Then on the 10th hole, I hit my driver and I felt like I tore it again."
Fortunately, medical testing revealed the damage was not as significant as initially feared.
"I didn't fully tear it and just have a little sliver on my TFCC, which is good because that means I can do these stem cells and I can get better, without getting surgery," she said.
The Fall Classic also marked another step in Trump's rapid progression through high-level golf. Last year she made her LPGA debut at The Annika, shooting rounds of 83 and 75.
Now, after completing her first college tournament while battling through a wrist injury, Trump's immediate focus is recovery.
"So I'm going to get my stem cells done now," she said, "and I'll see you guys at the next one."
How is Kai Trump related to President Donald Trump?
Kai Trump, 19, is President Donald Trump's eldest granddaughter, the daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his ex-wife Vanessa Trump. (Trump Jr. is now married to Bettina Trump, a Palm Beach-area socialite. Vanessa Trump is dating golf legend Tiger Woods.)
Kai Trump attended the same Palm Beach County school as Woods' son, Charlie Woods. Charlie Woods signed on to Florida State University in fall 2027. OnLogan Paul's podcast earlier this year, Kai Trump said Woods is her favorite golfer.
Does Kai Trump have a NIL deal?
Yes, she has a few brand partnerships.
In 2025, Kai Trump announced partnerships with Accelerator Active Energy and big-name golf equipment company TaylorMade. On3, a website that rates high school and college athletes, has valued her name, image and likeness (NIL) at more than $1.2 million. She announced her partnership with Accelerator energy drinks, where Travis Kelce is also a brand ambassador, was presidential-themed in a nod to her grandfather. She later went on "Fox & Friends" to announce the new deal.
"He really just taught me to keep on fighting and keep on practicing and whatnot," Kai said in the interview last year, according to Golfweek. "I've loved playing golf with him my whole life. It's the reason that we share a special bond together."
Trump is also a social media personality, with more than 8 million followers and subscribers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. She focuses on golf content as an aspiring golf pro. She also has her own clothing collection of sweatshirts with her initials on them.
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kai Trump reinjured in first college tournament. How much is her NIL valued at?
