Kai Trump Opens Up About Tiger Woods and the Golf Advice She Takes to the Course

The University of Miami Golfer Spoke About Her Mother’s Boyfriend After Competing at The ANNIKA

Kai Trump says Tiger Woods is someone she can turn to whenever she wants advice. The 19-year-old University of Miami golfer spoke about her relationship with Woods after competing in The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican on November 13. Woods, 50, and her mother, Vanessa Trump, made their relationship public in March 2025.

“He’s the best,” Kai said. “I love him so much, and he’s a great guy, and he helps me whenever I want.” Her comments came as she reflected on the people who have helped her develop as a golfer. Woods is a resource she can turn to now, and Vanessa is the person Kai credits with introducing her to the game.

Vanessa Put a Golf Club in Kai’s Hands at Age Two

Kai said she was two years old when Vanessa first gave her a golf club. She traces her decision to play the sport to that early introduction. “If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be playing golf right now.”

By the time Kai spoke after the November 13 tournament, golf had become part of her college life at the University of Miami. It also remained something she shared with members of her family. She said she regularly plays with her grandfather, President Donald Trump, who is 80.

When Kai talked about how she got started, she singled out a moment from long before she was old enough to think about college golf or tournament appearances. Vanessa put a club in her hands, and Kai kept playing. Her mother’s place in that history was one of the first things Kai wanted to acknowledge when she talked about the people who had influenced her game.

Woods Gave Her a Simple Message Before Her Tournament Debut

Kai had spoken warmly about Woods after making her debut at The ANNIKA in November 2025. She described him as “the best golfer in the entire world” and “an even better person.” She also shared what he had told her before she played.

“He told me to go out there and have fun and just go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens,” she said at the time.

The advice gave Kai something simple to remember when she got to the course. Woods encouraged her to enjoy playing and take the round as it came. A year later, following another appearance at the tournament, she talked about how willing he was to help whenever she asked.

The two interviews captured different parts of that relationship. In 2025, Kai recalled a particular conversation and the words she took into her debut. After competing again on November 13, she described the more everyday experience of being able to go to Woods for help. Her affection for him came through in both conversations.

Woods and Vanessa Went Public With Their Relationship in March 2025

Woods and Vanessa are believed to have started dating shortly before Thanksgiving in 2024. They went public the following March. Both had children from previous marriages, and Kai’s comments offered her own perspective on what it has been like getting to know the person her mother is dating.

Vanessa and her former husband, Donald Trump Jr., have five children. Kai is the oldest, followed by Donald, 17, Tristan, 15, Spencer, 14, and Chloe, 12. Woods has two children with his former wife, Elin Nordegren. Their daughter Sam is 19, and their son Charlie is 17.

Kai spoke about the relationship through experiences she could describe firsthand. She recalled the advice Woods offered before a tournament and said she feels comfortable asking him for help. Golf gives them a subject they already have in common, and her remarks about his character made clear that she values having him in her life beyond the advice he gives her on the sport.

Vanessa Spoke About Her Family’s Support After Her Diagnosis

In May, Vanessa revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In sharing the news, she described her outlook and the people she was relying on. “I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids and those closest to me,” she wrote.

Someone close to the family described Woods as available to support Vanessa in whatever way she wanted. Vanessa’s own message emphasized the people around her, including her children. Kai’s later tournament interview offered a glimpse of one of those family relationships from her point of view, focusing on the kindness and help she said she had received from Woods.

Vanessa Attended Woods’s Court Appearance in Florida

Woods faced legal difficulties of his own after a rollover crash in Florida in March 2026. He was arrested and initially charged with DUI. In September, he reached a plea agreement on reduced charges, including reckless driving. A judge suspended his driver’s license for five years and imposed a fine of about $1,500.

Vanessa attended the court proceeding in Martin County and sat behind Woods. A person close to the couple described them as helping each other through difficult events that had come at the same time. Vanessa had spoken publicly about the support around her following her diagnosis, and her presence in court was a public moment of support for Woods.

Kai spoke about Woods in a different setting, after a round of golf. The examples she shared were personal and specific. She remembered what he had told her before her debut and explained how readily she could ask him for help. Among the many things a golfer of his experience could have said to her before a tournament, the advice she remembered was his reminder to have fun and see what happened.