Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson’s attempt to earn an LPGA Tour card encountered a setback on Tuesday when the 30-year-old shot a six-over 78 in her first round at Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School, leaving her 171st in a field of 195 players. Only the top 35 and ties advance to Final Qualifying after 72 holes this week in Venice, Florida.
Davidson began the event amid reports that a letter signed by more than 275 female players was sent to the LPGA, USGA and International Golf Federation on August 19 calling for the organisations to repeal their policies that allow biological males to compete in women’s events.
OutKick and Golfweek reported that an organisation called the Independent Women’s Forum sent the letter, which stated that “it is essential for the integrity and fairness of women’s golf to have a clear and consistent participation policy in place based on a player’s immutable sex… There are differences between the sexes – female and male – that specifically affect our sport of golf.”
According to the reports, the Independent Women’s Forum sent its letter three days after LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan sent her membership a memo stating that the tour was planning to wrap-up a complete review of its current playing policy by year’s end. According to the Golfweek report, the commissioner stated that the tour’s top priority was to have a policy that provides for fair competition and considers competitive advantage “first and foremost”, with any updates to the LPGA policy set to be implemented before the 2025 season.
Since 2010, the LPGA has not required that players be “female at birth” to compete on its tour or the developmental Epson Tour.
The USGA does not have that requirement either, allowing Davidson to enter US Women’s Open qualifying. In May, she came within a stroke of advancing to the championship, finishing in a three-way tie for third in the 36-hole qualifier at Florida’s Bradenton Country Club. The top two finishers advanced to Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Davidson, born in Scotland but living in Florida, played college golf on the men’s team at Christopher Newport in Virginia. In 2015, she began hormone treatments and had gender-affirming surgery in 2021, a requirement for play under the LPGA’s Gender Policy, according to Golfweek.
In pursuit of a pro golf career, Davidson has played on various women’s mini-tours, winning an event on the NXXT Golf tour in Florida earlier this year and finishing second three times. Subsequently, the tour updated its eligibility policy to require players to be “female at birth”.
While off to a poor start at Stage II, Davidson has more than an LPGA card to play for this week in Florida. Any player who finishes all four rounds in the no-cut event earns partial status on the Epson Tour.
