LPGA commissioner says if he thinks it was a mistake to give Kai Trump a sponsor exemption

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Kai Trump was thrust to the forefront of the golf world during her LPGA debut.

Her opening round in particular didn’t go as she might have hoped. Trump shot an opening round 83 at The ANNIKA, propping up the leaderboard after day one. 

Donald Trump’s granddaughter did bounce back, as Trump shot a second-round 75, showing impressive mental fortitude at 18 years old. But she finished the tournament dead last at 18-over par. 

Trump is an exceptional golfer with a handicap of +0.5, but she admitted to feeling more nervous than expected after her first round. People came out in support of Trump, but the question remains whether she was ready to make her LPGA Tour debut at a young age with little experience. 

LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler, who was elected in May this year, was unequivocal in his response when that was put to him. 

Craig Kessler says if giving Kai Trump a sponsor exemption was a mistake 

What can’t be denied about Trump’s appearance at The ANNIKA is that it drew a ton of eyeballs to the event. Her presence helped to generate a 38% jump in Golf Channel viewership during the tournament compared to last year’s event, and a 600% increase in social media mentions, according to SportsDataIO.

At the end of the day, that’s what sponsor exemptions are all about, and Kessler clearly did a phenomenal job of increasing viewership and media attention, helped by the presence of WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark during the pro-am. 

That was exactly Kessler’s position when he was asked by The Athletic if he should have given Trump her exemption. He said,  “We actually do have established criteria on what it takes to be granted a sponsor exemption, and Kai met those criteria.”

The LPGA only gives out exemptions to amateurs with a handicap of -2 or lower. 

Kessler continued: “I will tell you, having been on the ground at Pelican last week, the energy was electric. I was there for the pro-am and had a chance to see the crowds that Caitlin Clark and her teammates attracted.

“I had a chance to meet Kai and hear her youthful enthusiasm and excitement for having a chance to play in her first LPGA Tour event. I was there when Nelly [Korda] dropped her new Nike shoe. The combination of all these things, again, just gets me really excited for the type of energy we can create.”

Judging by Trump’s comments after her opening round, her confidence wasn’t knocked, and with the increase in coverage, you can only call her involvement a success for the LPGA Tour.

LPGA Tour’s new broadcast deal meets fans ‘number one request’

The tour announced this week that its tournaments in North America will be shown live on TV. It’s a momentous step for the LPGA, which should significantly improve their broadcast product for fans. 

Kessler said that improving the broadcast’s quality was the fans’ “number one request” and his top priority during his tenure as commissioner.

He explained: “The quality of the broadcast is table stakes. If we went out and ran a fan acquisition strategy and tried to get people to watch, and they tune in and they don’t like what they see, we may never get a second bite at the apple.

“So that’s why we’ve started there. Now that we’ve got a product that will be better than ever before, your question is the perfect question to ask. Our team is now working on the detailed plans to bring new fans into the fold.

“From my own personal experience, what I would say is, as I’ve watched people get their first exposure to the LPGA and specifically to our athletes, they fall in love. And now the task in front of us is figuring out how to create that exposure for as many people as fast as we possibly can.”

Whether you agree with Trump’s participation or not, it drew more eyes to the LPGA, and with their new broadcast deal, it seems like positive steps are being taken to secure the future success of the tour.