Hailey Davidson's LPGA Qualifying Bid Sparks Transgender Policy Debate

Sports

By Associated Press

Published 10 months ago on

October 23, 2024

Hailey Davidson poses with the trophy after a 2024 win on the NXXT Tour. (Hailey Davidson)

Davidson shoots 78 in LPGA qualifying as 275 players reportedly sign letter opposing transgender participation policy.
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan informs players of ongoing policy review to be concluded by year's end.
Mini-tours NXXT Golf and Cactus Tour update policies to require players to be assigned female at birth for eligibility.

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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson began the second stage of LPGA qualifying Tuesday with a 78 as reports surfaced of 275 female players signing a letter asking top golf organizations to repeal policies that allow people assigned male at birth to compete in women’s events.

Outkick reported that the Independent Women’s Forum shared the letter sent Aug. 19 to the LPGA, the U.S. Golf Association and the International Golf Federation. The letter was sent three days before the pre-qualifying stage of Q-school.

Davidson, who narrowly missed out on a playoff during U.S. Women’s Open qualifying this year, tied for 42nd in LPGA pre-qualifying to advance to the next stage.

The LPGA currently allows players who have undergone gender-affirming surgery after puberty and meet hormone therapy requirements.

Davidson, who has been open about her transition, said in an Instagram post in March that the LPGA’s “policy is working pretty well,” given the lack of success by transgender players at the highest levels of women’s golf.

Golfweek obtained a memo from Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan in August in which she informed LPGA and Epson Tour players the tour would conclude a review of its policy by the end of the year and have any changes implemented before next season.

Second Stage of Qualifying Begins

The second stage of qualifying, delayed a week by Hurricane Milton, began Tuesday at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. The top 35 and ties advance to final qualifying. Any player who completes all four rounds gets limited status on the developmental Epson Tour.

Davidson’s round of 78 put her in a tie for 171st in the 194-player field.

Letter Calls for Policy Change

The letter sent to the LPGA, USGA and IGF was signed by current and former players from various tours.

“It is essential for the integrity and fairness of women’s golf to have a clear and consistent participation policy in place based on a player’s immutable sex,” the letter said. “There are differences between the sexes — female and male — that specifically affect our sport of golf.”

Davidson’s Golf Background

Davidson had a scholarship to play on the men’s team at Wilmington University in Delaware before transferring to the men’s team at Christopher Newport in Virginia. Golfweek reported she began hormone treatments in 2015 and had gender-affirming surgery in 2021.

Davidson won a tournament and was runner-up three times on the NXXT Golf tour in Florida earlier this year. The small circuit in March updated its eligibility policy to require all players to be assigned female at birth.

NXXT Golf was the second mini-tour to update its policy. The Cactus Tour in Arizona announced last month it was reinstating its female-at-birth requirement for eligibility.