LPGA Tour’s gender-eligibility policy change draws fiery reaction from transgender golfer
Hailey Davidson, the transgender golfer who hoped to break into the professional ranks, reacted on social media as the LPGA Tour updated its gender-eligibility policy on Wednesday.
Davidson competed on the NXXT Tour before the organization altered its gender-participation rules and was booted off. Now, Davidson’s possible path to the LPGA or Epson Tours has been closed. Davidson competed in Q School in the fall in hopes of getting an LPGA Tour card.
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson during the pre-qualifying stage of LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. “All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
“And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason.”
The LPGA Tour said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions.
GOLFER WHO COMPETED AGAINST TRANS HAILEY DAVIDSON ‘PRAYING’ FOR LPGA GENDER RULE CHANGES
The LPGA and LET logos during the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Ballymena, Antrim, United Kingdom, on Aug. 18, 2023. (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization said. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”
The announcement came after two pro golfers and a retired player called on the organization to change its rules.
“Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels,” the LPGA Tour said. “Individual competitions are generally categorized as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete.”
Outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan speaks to the gallery after the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship, March 31, 2024, in Gilbert, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
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“Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” Marcoux Samaan said. “The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”
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