Kai Trump undergoes wrist surgery

Published: 13:11 EDT, 14 October 2026 | Updated: 13:11 EDT, 14 October 2026

Kai Trump has revealed she’s been forced to undergo surgery on a wrist injury in an early blow to her blossoming career as a collegiate golfer. Trump announced in a candid YouTube vlog last month that she suffered a painful wrist injury during her very first tournament for the University of Miami, the Golfweek Fall Challenge. The 19-year-old revealed the injury occurred early in the competition when she tried to hit a shot near a path, unknowingly striking hard concrete hidden just beneath the surface. She said it felt ‘like a shock on my arm.’ Taking to Instagram on Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump’s granddaughter posted a picture of her in a hospital bed with her left wrist in a huge cast and sling. She captioned the post: ‘I recently underwent surgery to repair a wrist injury I sustained during my first tournament of the season.

‘While I had hoped to avoid surgery, after talks with my family, coaches, and athletic training staff I know I made the best decision for my long-term health and my future in the game I love. It’s certainly not how I envisioned the next few months, but sometimes the journey takes an unexpected turn, and I’m choosing to embrace this one with patience, and a whole lot of determination. ‘Recovery will take time, but I’m incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people who continue to lift me up, encourage me, and remind me that every challenge is an opportunity to grow. Having the right people by your side makes all the difference, and I couldn’t be more grateful. ‘A special thank you to Dr. Carlson and the incredible team at HSS in New York for taking such great care of me, and to my teammates, coaches, family, and everyone who has supported me along the way. ‘For now, it’s all about healing, and trusting the process. I can’t wait to be back with my team, doing what I love. I’ll be back before you know it, stronger and more grateful than ever!’

While initial tests revealed she ‘didn’t fully tear’ her wrist, doctors found a ‘little sliver’ of damage along her cartilage and ligaments. In an effort to avoid missing extended playing time, Kai had been receiving stem cell injections. But clearly she had to turn to surgery to fix the issue for good. The injury hampered her play at the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where she struggled to a tie for 102nd place in a 120-player field.

The injury capped an emotional first month of college life for the freshman, who verbally committed to Miami in August 2024 before arriving on campus this fall. She began her freshman year at the Florida school in late September and documented her emotional final days at home and initial experience at school in a recent video shared to her YouTube channel. The teen struggled with leaving her home in Jupiter, Florida, and was seen breaking down into tears while having to say goodbye to her family and friends. In the vlog posted at the start of September, Kai captured herself sobbing while driving home from the golf course the day before she left for school.

‘It’s just really sad that I have to say goodbye to everyone today,’ Kai said, her eyes filled with tears. ‘I’m not a very emotional person at all, so this is like really weird for me to cry, I’ve only cried a few times. I think knowing that I have to say goodbye to everyone tonight really, really sucks,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t have to say goodbye to my mom tomorrow, but [saying goodbye to] everybody else [tonight] is sad. I’m struggling right now, just thinking about it,’ she said, adding that she was ‘excited’ for her next chapter but ’emotional’ about it all. She also included footage of herself hanging out with her friends for the final time, before it cut to the first night in her new Miami apartment.

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