When a Transgender Athlete Wins... US Golf Tour Strengthens Eligibility to "Only Those Born Female Can Compete"

A player who transitioned from male to female won a mini-tour event in the United States women's golf circuit, sparking controversy. In response, the US NXXT Women's Golf Pro Tour has strengthened eligibility requirements to allow only biological females to compete, aiming to ensure fair competition.

Transgender player Hailey Davidson wins in women's golf mini tour
[Photo by Hailey Davidson Instagram]

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The controversy began when Hayley Davidson, originally from Scotland, UK, lifted the winner's trophy at the NXXT Classic mini-tour event held in Florida, USA, last January. Davidson was born male and played as a male athlete on the golf teams at Wilmington University and Christopher Newport University. In 2015, she also participated in the regional qualifiers for the US Open men's tournament. That same year, she recognized her gender identity as female, began hormone therapy, and underwent gender reassignment surgery in January 2021.

After winning the women's golf mini-tour event in January, she expressed her intention to compete in the LPGA, stating, "This victory is a happy moment, but there is still a lot to do before advancing to the US Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour."

Top players in the NXXT golf tour can advance to the Epson Tour, which is the developmental league for the LPGA Tour. The LPGA Tour allows players who have undergone gender reassignment surgery after puberty to compete, as it removed the membership requirement of being "born female" in 2010. However, no transgender player has yet participated in the LPGA Tour.

[Photo by Canada Rebel News Capture]

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Recently, the sports world has been deeply debating whether athletes who have transitioned from male to female should be allowed to compete in women's events. There is a strong divide between those who argue that transgender individuals have the right to participate in sports competitions and those who believe restrictions are necessary due to inherent physical differences. Swimmer Lia Thomas (25, USA) ranked 462nd in the men's division but rose to first place after transitioning.

In a university volleyball match held in Toronto, Canada, last February, five transgender players with long hair but robust physiques simultaneously took the court. Both teams had transgender players, who dominated the game. The team with one more transgender player won 3-2.

As similar issues have arisen in many sports, some international federations have outright banned transgender participation. Currently, World Athletics prohibits transgender athletes from competing in women's world ranking events.

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