Kai Trump's college golf career is on hold almost as soon as it started.
The 19-year-old granddaughter of United States President Donald Trump announced on social media earlier this week that she underwent a second surgery on her left wrist after aggravating an injury during the Golfweek Fall Classic last month. It was the first tournament of her freshman season on the University of Miami women's golf team
.The left wrist is the same one she had surgery on earlier this year to address damage to the stabilizing tissues of her ECU tendon and fibrocartilage complex. There was no timetable for a return disclosed.
"While I had hoped to avoid surgery, after talks with my
family, coaches, and athletic training staff I know I made the best decision for my long-term health and my future in the game I love," Trump wrote in an Instagram post on Oct. 14, which also included a selfie of her wearing a sling in a hospital bed. "It’s certainly not how I envisioned the next few months, but sometimes the journey takes an unexpected turn, and I’m choosing to embrace this one with patience, and a whole lot of determination."
Trump previously revealed she re-injured her wrist after the Golfweek Fall Classic, when a shot near a cart path struck unexpectedly hard ground beneath the grass. She finished tied for 102nd in the 120-player field and then made another tournament start at the Golfweek Put Me In Coach Invitational. Trump finished at 27-over 243, carding rounds of 86 and 80 in the first day of competition before closing in 77.
Dr. Michelle Carlson, a hand surgeon in New York, performed Trump's surgery. There is no timetable for her return to action at Miami. There was no timetable disclosed for when Trump can resume playing competitive golf again.
Trump initially committed to play her college golf at Miami in August 2024. The oldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and his former wife, Vanessa, is known as a golf influencer with a substantial following on social media since entering the national spotlight as a speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention on behalf of her grandfather. Her mother is also currently dating Tiger Woods.
"Recovery will take time, but I’m incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people who continue to lift me up, encourage me, and remind me that every challenge is an opportunity to grow," Kai Trump wrote. "Having the right people by your side makes all the difference, and I couldn’t be more grateful."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kai Trump's golf career at Miami on hold after second wrist surgery
