"Give this girl a chance" - LPGA icon Annika Sorenstam shares her first impression of Kai Trump's game ahead of big debut

Annika Sorenstam has hailed Donald Trump's granddaughter Kai Trump ahead of her LPGA debut at The Annika. The comments came after the LPGA Hall of Famer played a few holes with the 18-year-old.

The LPGA is back in the USA with The Annika, which will be played at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. This will also mark the LPGA debut of Kai Trump, who is currently enrolled at the University of Miami.

On Tuesday, November 12, during the pre-event press conference for The Annika, Sorenstam was asked about her impressions of Kai Trump.

"Second time I met her but first time I played with her," she said. "Hits the ball really high. I think she drove it well. You know, as she told me she has to work a little bit on her putting and short game, and she realizes it, especially around these greens. It's quite the test. "As far as distance, I don't think that's going to be an issue. Obviously this is a big scene for her, big environment and big golf course. For her, just kind of getting used to that is going to take time. There is no doubt that she has a passion for the sport," she added.

Annika Sorenstam added that Kai was interested in improving her game and was constantly asking her questions.

"Obviously her background, I just don't know how she does it honestly," she continued. "To be 17 (18) years old and hear all the comments, she must be super tough on the inside. I'm sure we can all relate what it's like to get criticism here and there, but she gets it a thousand times. "So that's why I just want to give her a break, come out here and have fun. We want her to feel like family here and I want her to feel welcome. I mean, give this girl a chance, right? I think that's our responsibility this week," she added.

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Kai Trump to feature on The Annika Pro-Am's Golf Channel coverage

Kai Trump is set to feature in the Golf Channel's coverage of The Annika Pro-Am. The coverage will start on Wednesday, November 12 at 10 am ET. The Pro-Am will also feature WNBA star Caitlin Clark, who will play alongside reigning champion Nelly Korda.

The duo will play the first nine holes together, and then Clark will play the next nine alongside Lauryn Nguyen, who received one of the sponsor’s exemptions.

Here's a look at the complete schedule for The Annika (all times ET):

• Wednesday, Nov. 12: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Golf Channel, Fubo)
• Thursday, Nov. 13: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Golf Channel, Fubo)
• Friday, Nov. 14: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Golf Channel, Fubo)
• Saturday, Nov. 15: 2:30–4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel, Fubo)
• Sunday, Nov. 16: 2:30–4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel, Fubo)

Edited by Shobhit Kukreti