Transgender golfer faces possible ban under LPGA Policy Review according to reports
At the Plantation Golf and Country Club, transgender golfer Hailey Davidson missed out on earning her LPGA Tour card, but secured her place on the Epson Tour after finishing T95 at the LPGA Q-Series. However, this spot Davidson secured might very well be taken away from her.
As per The Telegraph's golf correspondent James Corrigan, LPGA Tour commissioner Mollie Marcoux confirmed a review is going on about whether golfers who were born male should be allowed to compete in events on the tour's pyramid. Davidson, who was born a male, is a transgender golfer competing in the professional circuit.
The report from Corrigan further suggested that the final decision on the subject will be made towards the end of 2024, and if there are any changes, they will be enforced before the next season begins. It's also worth noting that this confirmation comes after 275 professional women golfers took a major step some time ago.
You can check out an Instagram post of golfer Hailey Davidson below:
In August this year, a letter was sent to LPGA, USGA, and IGF (International Golf Federation). This letter contained a request that organizers must reconsider allowing male born golfers to compete in women's events. This letter was signed by 275 female professional golfers.
Hailey Davidson was banned from a tour earlier this year
While a decision on the LPGA Tour's gender policy will be made towards the end of this year, it's important to note that Hailey Davidson was banned from a tour earlier this year. The tour in question is NXXT Golf.
Davidson was banned from the tournament after NXXT Golf renvewed its gender policy which now states that a golfer competing must be female at birth, which the tour believes will help "maintain the integrity of women's professional golf and ensure fair competition."
This ban from the tour drew a very emotional response from Davidson on social media. On her Instagram stories, she voiced her frustration over being banned from the NXXT Tour.
Davidson wrote:
"Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the next three NXXT tournaments that I already signed up for and been approved to play. They changed their policy mid season, after me signing up already and being 2nd in Player of the Year race."
In another stories post, she spoke about the quality of golfers on the LPGA Tour. She also wrote:
"Do people not understand how good LPGA players are and how far they hit it? As a player, if you are upset at me getting to play with my distance (245 yards) then you will never make it to the LPGA Tour where they are that much better and longer than me."
"You can scream at me, threaten me, throw insults at me and even ban me but I will always get back up and keep fighting till the very end. Hate and bigotry will never win.”
Hailey Davidson concluded her story by saying that the decision was "a slap to the face of all women athletes" because they are being told that any man can transition and beat them regardless of the hard work women put in. She also added that the ban was not an attack on her but on all the female athletes.