Women's Golf Shuts Door on Trans Athletes

The LPGA Tour announced a dramatic change in its gender policy Wednesday, having huge repercussions for transgender players.

Women's golf has been embroiled in controversy over the past year with multiple professionals pleading with the tour to alter its rulebook to prevent trans athletes, such as Hailey Davidson, from competing.

The LPGA had stood firm by its inclusion policy for transgender athletes who undergo surgery after male puberty, having removed its requirement for golfers to be 'female at birth' in a policy change in 2010.

However, the organization has performed a U-turn with the updated gender policy, which will come into force in 2025, now requiring players to be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for women.

'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 statement from the tour read.

'Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events.'

Players assigned male at birth must prove they have not experienced any part of puberty beyond the first stage or after age 12, whichever comes first, and then meet limitation standards for testosterone levels.

The USGA, headed by CEO and former LPGA commissioner Mike Whan, released a similar statement outlining the same policy changes.

The LPGA and USGA say the…  Read moreir policies were geared toward being inclusive of gender identities and expression while striving for equity in competition.