Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has posted a response to being banned by the LPGA, and having "the greatest achievement I’ve earned in my life taken from me”.
Davidson qualified for the Epson Tour in 2025 after coming through Q School, but will now not be able to take that place up after the LPGA updated its Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility meaning that athletes must now either be female at birth or have transitioned before going through male puberty to play in its competitions.
The LPGA has changed its existing policy after a working group comprising experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law determined that “effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”
The announcement came just days after former pro Amy Olson claimed the LPGA founders’ work was being “hijacked” by transgender golfers.
After securing an Epson Tour spot in October, Davidson did not celebrate too much as a policy change was expected, but the confirmation still came as a huge blow.
"Can't say I didn't see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA," Davidson wrote on Instagram.
"All the silence and people wanting to stay "neutral" thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of your silence.
"What a great birthday present for 2024, having the greatest achievement I’ve earned in my life taken from me.”
Hailey Davidson won the NXXT Women’s Classic trophy at Howey-in-the-Hills
Davidson also hit out at her perceived advantages, saying that did not translate to any distance gains on the course during qualifying.
"Gets outdriven by every player in every group I played in at stage two of Q School yet I'm somehow the one with the advantage and gets banned," Davidson added.
In addition, as the new policy has also been introduced by the USGA, it means that Davidson will no longer be able to try and qualify for the US Women’s Open, which falls under its organization
And in a final post, Davidson hit out at the studies the LPGA and USGA referred to, after not being involved or consulted despite being currently the only transgender golfer the rules apply to.
"For the record, I was not involved, nor asked to be involved, in any of the "studies" that any golf organization has just used to ban me, the only active golfer who is actually affected by these policy changes," Davidson concluded.
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