Just a month and a half ago, Hailey Davidson, a transgender athlete, competed in the second stage of the LPGA qualifying phase and secured a limited status on the Epson Tour for 2025. Davidson thus became the second transgender golfer to gain playing rights on the mentioned circuit. Bobbi Lancaster achieved this in 2013, although she never competed in an official event. Just a year ago, Hailey was just one stroke away from advancing past the preliminary stage of the US Women’s Open.
The case has led the LPGA and the USGA to a thorough review of their gender policies, and this Wednesday afternoon they announced a change that directly affects Hailey Davidson.
The new LPGA policy states that players whose sex assigned at birth was male must establish before the circuit’s medical director and expert panel that they have not experienced any part of male puberty, either beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after the age of 12 (whichever comes first). They must also maintain a serum testosterone concentration below 2.5 nmol/L.
The reasons for this decision are based on the fact that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to other players.
Under these new guidelines, Davidson, who played men’s collegiate golf at Wilmington University, a Division II NCAA school in Delaware, before transferring to the men’s team at Christopher Newport, would not be able to compete in the Epson Tour. Davidson began transitioning in 2015 and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2021.
Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, wanted to explain the reasons for the decision: “Current medical data suggests that if you transition after puberty, no matter what you do or the treatments you follow, you probably can’t negate the competitive advantage that puberty and the testosterone peak provided. Similarly, if the change is earlier, it is most likely that they do not have a competitive advantage,” Whan stated, justifying the direction they have taken.
On the other hand, the still LPGA commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, declared: “Our policy represents an ongoing commitment to ensure that everyone feels welcome within our organisation, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”
