Kai Trump is on the road to recovery, but the first few weeks were a nightmare. The 18-year-old golfer opened up about the 'terrible' and 'mentally hard' period after wrist surgery.

After undergoing surgery in January to repair damage to her ECU tendon and triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), Kai Trump revealed just how exhausting it felt.

Kai Trump shared a video on her YouTube channel on March 21, opening up about how difficult the initial phase was. “It was terrible for the first month," she said.

"It was so mentally hard and challenging because I couldn't do anything that I love to do. Um, I was pretty much unable, like for the really first 3 weeks, I couldn't change for myself," added Kai Trump.

She had the procedure done on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, on her left wrist. The 18-year-old shared the update on Instagram.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Thomas Graham at the Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute after she had been dealing with ongoing pain that affected her swing.

The timing came shortly after her LPGA appearance at The Annika in November 2025 and ahead of her move to college golf at the University of Miami.

Trump also expressed gratitude for her mother, Vanessa Trump, who supported her through those toughest early days, adding,

“I couldn't eat because I couldn't really cut the food by myself. Um, couldn't open a water bottle. I couldn't do basic things for the first three weeks. And that was really challenging. Couldn't shower by myself. Shout out to my mom,” she added.

Kai Trump Says Return to Putting Marks a Major Step in Her Recovery

Reflecting on that progress, Kai Trump highlighted just how meaningful this small step has been, saying, "So, I started putting again, which is kind of a big deal to me because from where I was after surgery, to now, big difference. Yeah, I can putt now."

Kai Trump is preparing for her move into college golf, where she is set to join the University of Miami women’s team in the fall of 2026 as part of the Hurricanes’ incoming class. She had signed her National Letter of Intent in November 2025, marking the start of that transition.

Alongside her college plans, she has made it clear that her long-term goal is to compete on the LPGA Tour after completing her collegiate career.

Trump has also remained active around the game, including appearances at TGL events in Palm Beach Gardens, where she was seen with Tiger Woods in March 2026.

Before the surgery, she made her LPGA Tour debut at The Annika driven by Gainbridge in November 2025 on a sponsor exemption, recording rounds of 83 and 75 to finish with a 158 total and miss the cut.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi