Who would have thought WNBA star Caitlin Clark would be upstaged at a celebrity event by an 18-year-old still in high school? That can happen when you find yourself in the shadow of President Trump’s granddaughter playing in her first professional golf tournament.

Kai Trump makes her LPGA debut Thursday whens he tees it up in The ANNIKA, a four-day tournament at Belleair, Florida. Ms. Trump, who attends The Benjamin School in Palm Beach, can’t win any of the prize money because she’s an amateur. But her controversial sponsor’s exemption into the prestigious event is already lifting the interest in women’s golf.

Critics questioned whether Ms. Trump was worthy of a sponsor’s invite into a professional event considering she ranks 461st among junior golfers. Inheriting her grandfather’s love of golf, the eldest daughter of Donald Trump Jr., has a credible golf game; she’s shown enough potential to sign to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami beginning in 2026.

It’s her famous last name and large social media following that intrigues the LPGA. While women’s sports from basketball to flag football have seen a significant increase in media attention and fan attendance, women’s golf has struggled to add viewers. Enter Kai Trump, who is the topic of conversation at Pelican Golf Club where Ms. Clark  took part in the pro-am on Tuesday.

Ms. Trump and Ms. Clark played together during the back nine of the pro-am, attracting the largest gallery. It’s the second time Ms. Clark played in The ANNIKA pro-am but the first time she wasn’t the person the media came to see. “She’s a legend,” Ms. Trump said. “It was so nice meeting her.”

Ms. Trump started playing golf at age 2 and regularly plays with her grandfather, an avid golfer. “He’s pretty good,” she said. “We have some tight matches. We have a great time out there. We’re always on the same team as well.”

She has the same goals all young golfers have – to dominate on the collegiate level and win major championships as a professional. She also sees the bigger picture, which is why she is building her brand on social media where she has 6 million followers.

Ms. Trump said she spent two weeks filming her preparation for her LPGA debut and plans to offer a behind-the-scenes look. “I’m just going to show them the process,” she said, adding, “I’m just trying to grow women’s sports as much as I possibly can.”

President Trump, and Tiger Woods – the golf legend who is dating Kai’s mother, Vanessa – have both told Ms. Trump to not get nervous and to just go out and have fun. Mr. Trump, who made an appearance with Kai at the Ryder Cup, won’t be in attendance this weekend. “He’s running the world right now,” she said, “so a little busy. To me he’s just a normal grandpa. Always has been.”

Tournament officials are unapologetic about extending its invitation to Ms. Trump rather than a local pro or another established professional.

“The idea of an exemption is to bring attention to an event,” Dan Doyle, owner of the Pelican, said. “She’s brought a lot of viewers through Instagram and things that normally don’t watch women’s golf. That was the hope and we’re seeing it now on Instagram and social media.”

The official host of the event, record-breaking women’s golfer Annika Sorenstam, added, “Kai brings a lot of different people to the sport, and we want people to hear about our tournament and be part of it.”

Ms. Trump termed herself “a great ball striker,” who needs to improve her execution around the greens. “I have been practicing a lot with that,” she said. “These greens are tough. You need to have good hands around the greens.”

Ms. Trump expects to learn a lot competing with the pros. There is a 36-hole cut, which means she is guaranteed to play at least two rounds. “I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see which way it goes,” she said. “Obviously, competing with the best players is going to be cool.”

 Ms. Sorenstam, a member of the LPGA Hall of Fame, was extended a controversial invitation in 2003 when she competed in the Colonial, a PGA Tour event. She didn’t make the cut, but she lifted the profile of the LPGA Tour and thinks Ms. Trump can do the same.

“I don’t think anybody here is thinking that she will be the one holding the trophy on Sunday,” Ms. Sorenstam said. “It’s about opportunities and memories and lessons learned. That’s how we grow.”