HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS — Benjamin junior Kai Trump was back on the fairways for the Benjamin School girls golf team Tuesday at the Mission Inn Resort + Club Tuesday in the opening round of the Florida Class 1A Golf State Championship.
It was his first competitive event less than a week later walk on stage as part of his grandfather Donald J. Trump’s victory party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center following the Republican candidate’s landslide victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Despite the political whirlwind caused by his grandfather’s presidential victory and his recent incursions into the public sphereKai Trump hasn’t missed a golf event or practice at Benjamin, according to head coach Janet Coles.
She now plays a key role as one of five scoring players on Benjamin’s women’s golf team this week.
“Total admiration,” Coles said of Trump. “It’s been incredibly distracting and of course it’s incredibly exciting, but again, no one knew what was going to happen. There were all these unknowns. Huge admiration for how she was able to handle interference.”
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Trump shot an 80 (9-over) on the first day of the state championship Tuesday, helping Benjamin enter the second day of competition in 12th place.
Trump played districts and regions in previous states this week, postseasons that continued through the 2024 presidential election.
But politics didn’t deter the younger Trump from maintaining her commitment to the team.
“I stayed positive, she came to every practice, she definitely contributed and continues to do so with all these other things going on,” Coles said. “Honestly, I didn’t do anything but applaud him.”
“I’m really proud of the girls,” Coles said. “They all played really well. Kai made a birdie on the last hole, which was really great. It was wonderful to see.”
The birdie was a highlight of his first day in the United States, and Coles believes there will be more to come on day two.
“She’s not happy right now,” Coles said with a laugh. “So I think she’s going to come back and play well. We’re all proud of the team and Kai’s contribution, of course. That really plays a big role. We’ll come together tomorrow and move up the rankings.” .
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. He can be contacted at [email protected].
This article was originally published on the Palm Beach Post: Kai Trump: How Donald Trump’s granddaughter fared at the Florida golf tournament
