Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson and others have been banned from LPGA events due to a revised Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility.
Starting in 2025, the policy requires athletes to be either assigned female at birth or have transitioned before male puberty. Similarly, the USGA has introduced a comparable policy for its competitions. The LPGA explained the decision was based on findings from experts, stating that “effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.” As a result, Davidson, who earned her 2025 status on the Epson Tour, will lose eligibility.
Davidson first shared her disappointment on Instagram on December 4th.
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Davidson wrote. “All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.”
In another statement on Saturday, Davidson shared she was “beyond disappointed” with the ruling.
“These policy changes are all the more devastating because they come at a time when I was finally starting to gain momentum and see some positive outcomes as a result of a lifetime of hard work and perseverance,” she wrote, adding that her success was not the result of “some so-called physical or competitive advantage that I can assure you does not exist. Golf has been my entire life for 32 years, and that will never change despite those trying to shut me out for simply being me.”
The USGA’s similar policy bars Davidson from attempting to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, citing research on performance differences between biological sexes that emerge at puberty.
Former pro golfer Amy Olson criticized the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s golf, saying it undermines the LPGA’s founders’ work. Olson supported the tightened policies but warned of societal impacts, adding, “It’s a step… but I see that as incentivizing earlier transitions for children, and I think that should never be encouraged.”
The policy shift reverses the LPGA’s 2008 decision to eliminate its “female at birth” rule, drawing both praise and criticism within the sport.
