Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has been banned from competition following the new rules instituted by the LPGA.
Image: Instagram: @haileydgolf
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson slammed the LPGA Tour’s ruling which has effectively banned her from competing in the women’s game.
The LPGA Tour updated its gender policy for competition on Wednesday, effective from the start of the 2025 season.
The LPGA said in a statement: “This working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.
“Accordingly, under the new policy, athletes who are assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and in all other elite LPGA competitions. Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events.”
It means that Davidson, who in October qualified for the developmental Epson Tour in the USA, will no longer be eligible to compete. Davidson transitioned after going through male puberty, and has since attempted to make a career as a female professional golfer.
Showing a fundamental lack of understanding about the physical advantages at a genetic level that males have over females, Davidson reacted to the announcement on social media.
“What a great birthday present for 2024. Having the greatest achievement I’ve earned in my life taken from me. Gets outdriven by every player in every group I played in at Stage 2 of Q School yet I’m somehow the one with an advantage and gets banned.
"Can't say I didn't see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA," Davidson wrote on Instagram.
"All the silence and people wanting to stay "neutral" thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of your silence.”
Davidson is the only golfer that the new ruling affects, and she slammed the LPGA for the way the new rules were instituted.
"For the record, I was not involved, nor asked to be involved, in any of the "studies" that any golf organisation has just used to ban me, the only active golfer who is actually affected by these policy changes.”
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