Two national golf associations announced new gender eligibility policies Wednesday that bar transgender women who have gone through male puberty from participating in elite women’s competitions.
The LPGA said in a statement outlining its new policy that it had consulted “top experts in the fields of medicine, science, sport physiology and golf performance” and had been advised that “a Player’s exposure to male puberty provides physical advantages that are beneficial to golf performance compared to Players who have not had such exposure.”
To compete in elite competitions — such as the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour and the Ladies European Tour — a trans woman must establish that she has not experienced male puberty and that she has met specified testosterone requirements. Trans women who do not meet the requirements are still able to compete in “non-elite events and activities,” according to the association.
“The LPGA has updated our Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility to uphold the fairness and integrity of our elite competitions while providing an inclusive environment for the broader LPGA community,” the LPGA’s statement says. “There is a place for all women to participate in golf through the broader LPGA community. This principle guided the creation of our Policy and will continue to guide our future.”
The USGA outlined the same puberty and testosterone requirements as the LPGA in its new gender eligibility rules. It also notes that the updated guidelines were driven by a desire to ensure “competitive fairness” in its elite competitions. The new policy will apply to eight USGA women’s championship events, including the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
The updated policies, which take effect next month, will prevent Scotland’s Hailey Davidson, a transgender woman who nearly made it to this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, from taking part in the highest-profile women’s golf events.
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Davidson said in an Instagram story Wednesday. “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.”
