The LPGA is currently under notable scrutiny for allowing a transgender golfer, Hailey Davidson, to compete. On Tuesday, during the second stage of LPGA at Plantation Golf and Country Club, Scottish-born Davidson qualified with a 78. Davidson’s score enabled her to tie for 171st in the 194-player field.
However, 275 female players have signed a letter addressed to leading golf organisations to prevent players born male from participating in women’s competitions. The letter was signed by current and former golfers from different tours.
According to Outkick, the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), an American conservative organisation, shared the signed letter which was sent 19 August 2024 with the LPGA, the U.S. Golf Association and the International Golf Federation. The letter was sent just before the pre-qualifying stage of Q-School.
Despite missing out on a playoff during the U.S. Women’s Open qualifying this year by a small margin, Davidson was able to tie for 42nd place in LPGA pre-qualifying and progress to the next stage.
LPGA’s current policy permits golfers with gender-affirming surgery after puberty to compete if they also meet hormone therapy requirements. Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan informed LPGA and Epson Tour golfers, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour, in August that a review of the current policy will be completed by the end of 2024, and any subsequent changes will be implemented before next season.
Part of the petition letter reads: “It is essential for the integrity and fairness of women's golf to have a clear and consistent participation policy in place based on a player's immutable sex. There are differences between the sexes -- female and male -- that specifically affect our sport of golf.”
Prior to the transition, Davidson earned a scholarship to the men’s team at Wilmington University before moving to the men’s squad at Christopher Newport. Davidson reportedly started hormone treatments in 2015 before gender-affirming surgery in 2021.
The NXXT Golf Tour changed its eligibility requirements in March this year to specify that all players must be assigned female at birth. Davidson won the NXXT tournament in January, prior to the updated policy. Last month, the Cactus Tour also announced that it would be changing its eligibility policy to align with the NXXT.
Davidson argues that players are being critical due to “their own failures.” However, the letter argues that “several national and international governing bodies of sport and state legislatures [are] increasingly [rejecting] these unjust and inequitable policies that harm female athletes.” Last week, The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that it will prohibit transgender women from competing in its highest tiers from 2025.
The petition argues that “the male advantage in driving the ball is estimated around a 30% performance advantage,” and that “anatomical differences between males and females affect clubhead speed and regulating consistency at ball contact.”
It continues by arguing that “females have higher mean heart rates and encounter greater physiological demands while playing, especially at high altitudes.” The petition believes “testosterone suppression” does not make the situation equal.
