President Donald Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump is facing an unexpected interruption to her promising golf career after undergoing surgery to repair a left wrist injury suffered during the first collegiate tournament of her freshman season at the University of Miami.
The 19-year-old golfer announced the procedure Wednesday, sharing a photograph from her hospital bed with her left arm wrapped in a cast and supported by a sling. Trump said the surgery followed consultations with her family, coaches and athletic training staff after she initially hoped she could recover without an operation.
“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,” Trump wrote on social media.
“For now, it’s all about healing, and trusting the process,” Trump wrote, adding that she cannot wait to return to her Miami teammates. The setback is significant for a freshman eager to establish herself at the collegiate level, but Trump’s public message was focused less on disappointment than determination to return healthy.
hi, @kaitrump
Get well soon and don’t forget that injuries can occur in three ways:
poor warm-up before exercise
poor physical recovery during periods of fatigue
inappropriate technique— The performer stats project (@Performer_stats) October 14, 2026
“I’ll be back before you know it, stronger and more grateful than ever,” she wrote, signaling that surgery may have temporarily interrupted her first college season but has not changed her long-term plans for the sport.
The injury occurred during the Golfweek Fall Challenge in South Carolina in September, where Trump was making her official collegiate debut for the Miami Hurricanes. She later explained that she struck unusually hard ground beside a cart path while attempting a shot, sending what she described as a shock through her arm.
She continued playing but experienced another painful moment after hitting her driver on the 10th hole, leading her to worry that she had seriously damaged the wrist again. Trump nevertheless completed the tournament and finished tied for 102nd in the 120-player field, an accomplishment that came while she was dealing with the injury.
Medical testing initially indicated she had not suffered a complete tear, and Trump pursued treatment in hopes of avoiding another operation. The decision to undergo surgery was particularly disappointing because Trump had already undergone a procedure on the same wrist in January.
That earlier operation addressed injuries involving stabilizing tissue around her ECU tendon and damage to the triangular fibrocartilage complex, commonly known as the TFCC. Trump spent months rehabilitating the wrist before returning to competition, making the new injury an especially frustrating development as she began her college career.
Wednesday’s operation was performed at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where Trump thanked her medical team for caring for her throughout the procedure. “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,” Trump wrote.
Despite the setback, Trump made clear that she intends to return to competitive golf once doctors determine that her wrist has healed sufficiently.
“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,” she wrote.
Trump also thanked her teammates, coaches and family members for supporting her as she begins another rehabilitation process. The freshman is one of nine players listed on Miami’s women’s golf roster, joining a Hurricanes program that has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.
