Kai Trump's first collegiate tournament — the 2026 Golfweek Fall Classic at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina — ended not only with a disappointing finish, but the University of Miami freshman also reinjured her wrist and needed a medical procedure that she hopes won't keep her sidelined for long.
The granddaughter of President Donald Trump competed as an individual for the Hurricanes, posting rounds of 78, 76 and 81 to finish at 22 over par and tied for 102nd in the 120-player field.
Her final round was the toughest of the week. Starting on the 10th hole, Trump opened with two pars before a stretch of six consecutive bogeys. After steadying herself with four straight pars around the turn, she dropped more shots on the inward
nine, including a bogey-triple bogey sequence. She did manage one highlight before heading home, birdieing the par-5 eighth.
But the week also added a wrinkle about her injured wrist, which she needed surgery on earlier this year.
In a video shared on social media, 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 concrete underneath that ground because it was very hard."
Trump said she immediately felt pain radiate through her arm.
"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," Trump said. "I was talking surgery, and I can get better faster, so that's always a blessing."
According to Trump, she is undergoing stem cell treatments in hopes of accelerating the recovery process and avoiding another operation.
The 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.
Despite the setback, Trump remains focused on returning to competition. Miami enters the fall season with momentum after capturing its first team title of the year at the Boilermaker Classic, where Scarlett Schremmer earned medalist honors. Trump was not in the lineup for that victory, and she and teammate Carlee Rogers were the Hurricanes' only representatives at Caledonia. Then earlier this week, Miami finished runner-up at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic.
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."
Tim Schmitt is the managing editor of Golfweek and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Kai Trump says she felt 'shock' in arm, reinjured wrist during first college golf event
