Hailey Davidson condemned the decision by NXXT Golf which now requires all eligible golfers to be female at birth
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson expressed her feelings in a heartfelt manner after being disqualified from participating in the NXXT Golf women’s professional tour due to a
revision in their gender regulations. Davidson achieved her first victory in an all-female competition in January at the NXXT Women’s Classic in Florida. However, her win stirred controversy and led the mini-Tour to conduct a survey among its members regarding their gender policy. Additionally, Davidson was requested to undergo further testosterone testing.
“NXXT Golf, a tournament that provides opportunities for players to compete on the Epson Tour, the official feeder Tour of the LPGA Tour, has recently revised its gender policy. The new requirement mandates that all participants must have been born female in order to uphold the integrity of women’s professional golf and promote fair competition.”
CEO Stuart McKinnon stated in a press release that it is essential to maintain the competitive integrity that is fundamental to women’s sports as we adapt to the changing sports environment.
He emphasized that the updated policy demonstrates the company’s strong dedication to honoring and safeguarding the accomplishments and prospects of female athletes.
It is essential for our Tour to guarantee equal opportunities for females biologically in order to support the integrity of protected categories in sports at all levels.
Davidson, who passed Stage One of the LPGA Q-School last year, has reacted by characterizing the ban as disrespectful to female athletes worldwide.”
The 30-year-old announced on Instagram that he has been banned from participating in the next 3 NXXT tournaments for which he had already registered and received approval.
Do individuals fail to comprehend the skill and distance capabilities of LPGA players? If you are bothered by my ability to hit the ball a long distance (245 yards), you may struggle to compete at the level of LPGA players who are even more skilled and hit the ball even farther than me.
Davidson would be placed outside the top 100 longest hitters in the LPGA Tour for the year 2024 with her driving distance of 245 yards.
She stated that despite being screamed at, threatened, insulted, or banned, she will always stand up and continue fighting until the end. She believed that hatred and prejudice will never prevail. I am frustrated by the misconception that I only succeed because I participate.
It is disrespectful to suggest that any male can suddenly transition to compete against female athletes and win, disregarding the years of dedication and training these women have put in. Criticizing me is not just aimed at me, but also demeans and undermines all other female athletes. “NXXT Golf is not the only Tour that has recently updated its gender policy.
The Cactus Tour, based in Arizona, also made a change in February by adding a requirement that players must have been born female.”
The current gender policy of the LPGA Tour permits players who have transitioned after puberty to compete if they qualify for a Tour card. Despite this, no transgender golfer has qualified to compete on the LPGA or Epson Tour so far.