Friday Nov 14, 2025
FIRST THOUGHT

Hype was finally replaced by performance on Thursday as Kai Trump, the 18-year-old amateur, made her LPGA debut at The Annika. Trump shot a 13-over 83 to sit last in the 180-player field. Her scorecard featured no birdies, seven pars, nine bogeys and a pair of doubles. She is four shots behind Italy's Benedetta Moresco, who sits 107th.

Following are quotes from her post-round media availabilty:
▪️ Q. Talk about making your first appearance in an LPGA event as the youngest player in the field.
I was definitely more nervous than I expected, but I thought I hit a lot of great shots out there. I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots. And obviously being my first LPGA event, now I kind of know how it goes. I felt like a little out of order in the beginning but I kind of got it going afterwards.

▪️ Q. I notice how far you hit the ball. How did it feel seeing yourself sort of in the mix on the fairways out there?
It was pretty cool because I know I hit it far, but kind of playing with the best players in the world and being literally right there or even outdriving on some of the holes, it felt pretty good. Felt like my game is in a good spot, and especially only being a senior in high school. It was cool to see that.

▪️ Q. How do you make sure you were able to recover from two doubles? You didn't let it throw your game way off. Did you just try to put them aside as you moved on?
I kind of just stayed the same the whole way. Kind of just enjoyed my time out there. Obviously I made mistakes and for my first event that's going to happen, but I could have just stayed level the whole time. Like I don't think I really ever got too ahead of myself.

POLL

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

What is your opinion of the The Annika, this week's LPGA event, extending a sponsor exemption to Kai Trump? Trump, 18, is a University of Miami commit who is No. 461 in the American Junior Golf Association rankings, and has finished no higher than 24th in three 2025 AJGA starts. Her average score for nine rounds is 83.56.

Send replies on this question or other topics and questions you would like to have asked to shall@buffalogroupe.com. For a response to be published, you must include your first and last name, along with the city and state of residence.

▪️ Previous: Gary Player, 90, says the three best players ever are Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and himself. Who do you believe are golf's three greatest players? | Read

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READ, WATCH, LISTEN

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[Josh Carpenter | Sports Business Journal | Read]

▪️ Kai Trump’s ‘nervous’ LPGA debut included a little bit of everything
[Jay Coffin | Golf Digest | Read]

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ARCHIVES: 🎧  Podcasts | ▶️  Videos

ON TOUR

European Tour: DP World Tour Championship
Site: Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth), Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Television [ET]: Today-Saturday, 2-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1:30-7:30 a.m. (Golf Channel).

PGA Tour: Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Site: Port Royal Golf Club, Southampton, Bermuda.
Television [ET]: Today, 1-4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel).

LPGA Tour: The Annika
Site: Pelican Golf Club, Belleair, Florida.
Television [ET]: Today, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1:30-2:30 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 1-2 p.m. (NBC Sports app), 2-4 p.m. (Golf Channel).

PGA Tour Champions: Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Site: Phoenix Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona.
Television [ET]: Today, 4-6:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4:30-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 4-6:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).

COMPLETE SCHEDULE >

TFC GOLF JOB BOARD

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED LISTINGS

▪️ Sales Representative
PGA Tour
Atlanta, Georgia | Info

▪️ Test Results Coordinator/Club Tester | Titleist
Acushnet Company
Oceanside, California | Info

▪️ Director of Golf
Sandwich Hollows Golf Club
East Sandwich, Massachusetts | Info

▪️ The First Call Job Board
▪️ Buffalo Groupe Job Openings

TFC EVENTS
The Friars Golf Club: Young Pro Championship & Pro-Am
January 16-19, 2026 | Orlando, Florida
CALENDAR

NOVEMBER
18-20: Golf Business Canada Conference and Trade Show, Niagra Falls, Ontario | Info

JANUARY
20-23: PGA Show, Orlando, Florida | Info

COMPLETE CALENDAR >

To submit events for the calendar, please include the event name, date, location and informational link to info@firstcallgolf.com.