By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Friday, March 8, 2024

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson is having an impact on the women’s game, although not necessarily in the way she might have hoped.

NXXT Golf, a professional women’s mini-tour, announced Friday that it will only accept biological females, two months after Davidson’s victory at the NXXT Women’s Classic raised the possibility that she could become the first male-born golfer to qualify for the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour.

“Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate,” said NXXT Golf in a statement. “This decision underscores the organization’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition.”

The rule change means that Davidson, a former men’s collegiate golfer, will no longer be eligible to compete on the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour or the Arizona-based Cactus Tour, which instated a female-at-birth requirement last month.

The restrictions were implemented after Davidson won an exemption in January on the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s developmental tour. The top 10 Epson Tour finishers qualify each year for the LPGA, the pinnacle of women’s professional golf.

A three-time NXXT tour winner, Davidson has accused her opponents of overreacting to her success. She said only two transgender golfers have competed in pro events since the LPGA opened the door to male-born competitors in 2010, and that no transgender golfer has competed in an LPGA tournament.

“I would semi understand all the hate and threats if there were a ton of transgender women out there dominating at all levels but unfortunately that just [isn’t] the case nor has it been since the policy went into place,” she said last week on Instagram.

NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon said it was “crucial to uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women’s sports.”

“Our revised policy is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to celebrating and protecting the achievements and opportunities of female athletes,” he said. “Protected categories are a fundamental aspect of sports at all levels, and it is essential for our Tour to uphold these categories for biological females, ensuring a level playing field.”

The policy change was the result of “comprehensive research, thoughtful deliberation, and extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the sports community,” said NXXT.

Cheering the decision were advocates for single-sex female sports, who pointed out that the announcement came on International Women’s Day.

“This is what standing up for women looks like,” said May Mailman, Independent Women’s Law Center director. “The women on the NXXT and Cactus tours are fortunate to have leaders who understand the unavoidable sex-based disadvantages for women competing against men in golf. Kudos to the women who have spoken out in protecting their biological existence and their livelihoods.”

Amy Olson, a 10-year LPGA veteran and Independent Women’s Forum ally, called NXXT’s decision “incredible progress to prevent the replacement of hardworking female athletes.”

“And the momentum has only begun! Golf leaders know this common-sense measure is the right one. NXXT and the Cactus Tour are showing real leadership to support women, which will inspire leadership across the country,” said Olson.

Davidson played on the men’s team at Wilmington University in Delaware, an NCAA Division II school, then transferred to the men’s team at Christopher Newport, a D-III school in Virginia, according to Golf Week.

The LPGA requires transgender golfers to have undergone sex-change surgery, or a gonadectomy, and at least one year of hormone therapy to reduce testosterone to levels that “minimize or negate gender-related advantages.” 

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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