Golf Ireland has been urged to follow the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LGPA) which has reversed a policy that allowed biological males to compete in the female category of the sport.
In a statement the LGPA said their “working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said, “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,”
“The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.” she said.
Reacting to the decision, Irish women and children’s advocacy group, The Countess, has urged Golf Ireland to follow suit.
The Countess says it “broadly welcomes the news that LPGA has reversed its controversial gender policy to now ensure fair play for women.”
“Under the new policy, only women (and those who did not go through male puberty) will be eligible to enter LPGA competitions. Men who identify as women will no longer be eligible to compete.” it said, adding, @golfireland_ please follow suit.”
Golf Ireland says it is “committed to the inclusion of people from the LGBTQIA+ community. We want to make a game everyone can belong to, and feel safe and included within.”
Hailey Davidson, a male golfer who identifies as female, hit out at the decision saying “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.” he wrote on Instagram.
Critiquing the policy of allowing males who have not gone through male puberty to compete in the female category, The Countess said, “Policies like this that state ‘have not gone through male puberty’ are potentially encouraging young boys down a pathway of taking harmful and unproven drugs, which could have serious long term health impacts. These boys should be encouraged to play in open divisions.”
The new LGPA policy is effective starting with the 2025 season.
The body says its new policy was “informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law—was developed with input from a broad array of stakeholders and prioritizes the competitive integrity of women’s professional tournaments and elite amateur competitions..”
“[U]nder 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. Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events.”
The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community. For more details, please refer to the full policy at lpga.com/gender-policy.
Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels. Individual competitions are generally categorized as “women’s events,” which have specific eligibility requirements or “open events,” where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete.