Hailey davidson, the transgender golfer who hoped to break into the professional ranks, responded on social media as the LPGA Tour updated its gender eligibility policy on Wednesday.
Davidson competed in the NXXT tour before the organization changed its rules for gender participation and was launched. Now Davidson’s possible path to the LPGA or Epson Tours is closed. Davidson attended Q School in the fall in hopes of getting an LPGA Tour card.
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson during the pre-qualifying phase of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in a post on Instagram Stories. “All the silence and people who want to remain ‘neutral’, thank you for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.
“And somehow people are surprised that the suicide rate among transgender people is around 50%. Situations like this are part of the reason.”
The LPGA Tour said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from playing on the LPGA Tour. Epson tourLadies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions.
GOLFER ‘PRAYING’ AGAINST TRANS HAILEY DAVIDSON FOR LPGA GENDER RULE CHANGES
The LPGA and LET logos during the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Ballymena, Antrim, United Kingdom, on August 18, 2023. (Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
“Players assigned male at birth and who have undergone male puberty are not eligible to participate in the above events,” the organization said. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events use several criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”
The announcement came after two professional golfers and a retired player appealed to the organization to change his rules.
“Golf provides opportunities for all athletes to compete at the professional and elite amateur levels,” the LPGA Tour said. “Individual competitions are generally categorized as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of gender, is eligible to compete.”
Outgoing LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan addresses the gallery after the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship, March 31, 2024, in Gilbert, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, file)
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“Our policy reflects a comprehensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said Marcoux Samaan. “The policy represents our ongoing commitment to ensuring everyone feels welcome within our organization, while maintaining the fairness and competitiveness of our elite leagues.”
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