On Wednesday, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced an update to their Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility, banning biological males who went through puberty from playing alongside women, regardless of their gender identity. The new policy will go into effect in the 2025 season.
Under the new policy, "athletes who are assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and in all other elite LPGA competitions," a press release from the organization stated. Biological male players can be allowed to play if they "have not experienced any part of male puberty either Beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12 (whichever comes first)."
Those transgender players must show that they have "continuously maintained the concentration of testosterone in their serum below 2.5 nmol/L" and must continue to maintain this level as long as they wish to be eligible to play.
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said, "Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach. The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions."
The organization said the policy was informed "by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law" and was developed with input "from a broad array of stakeholders and prioritizes the competitive integrity of women’s professional tournaments and elite amateur competitions."
"This working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty."
Hailey Davidson, a trans-identified male golfer, would be excluded under the new policy. Davidson wrote in an Instagram story, "Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. 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." Davidson had competed on the NXXT Tour, which gives 10 exemption slots to play on the Epson Tour, which is a qualifying tour to earn a spot on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. The new policy applies to the Epson Tour, LGPA Tour, and other tours.
