The LPGA and USGA announced on Wednesday new updates to their gender policies, including a female-at-birth clause, that will take effect in the 2025 season.
The new policy for the LGPA (seen in full here) largely resembles that of the USGA (seen HERE). It states in part that “players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete” on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions. The LPGA said the policy updates were “informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law.”
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan in a statement: “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach. 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.”
The updated policies would rule out eligibility for transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, who turned 32 on Tuesday. Davidson (who missed qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open this year by one shot and came up short in LPGA Q-school) began hormone treatments in 2015 when she was in her early 20s; in 2021, Davidson underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA’s previous gender policy. Davidson reacted to the news on her Instagram story, writing, “can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.”
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