Hailey Davidson has hit out at the LPGA after she was made ineligible to compete under new gender policies published on Wednesday.
Players must 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 females.
The new policies will come into effect in 2025 after more than a year of study involving medicine, science, sport physiology and gender policy law.
Under the new policies, Davidson would be ineligible to compete in the women’s game.
The 32-year-old came with in one shot of qualifying for this year’s US Women’s Open and bowed out of LPGA Tour Q-School at the Second Stage, although she had status on the Epson Tour, the second tier and pathway to the LPGA.
The Scot who resides in Florida began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s and in 2021 she underwent gender-affirming surgery in order to meet the then LPGA gender policy.
She had won this year on a Florida mini-tour called NXXT Golf before the circuit announced in March that players had to be assigned female at birth.
“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Davidson wrote Wednesday on an Instagram story. “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.”
The LPGA and USGA say their updated gender policies are tailored towards inclusivity of gender identities and expression while striving to maintain equality in competition.
The LPGA said its working group of experts advised that the effects of male puberty allowed for competitive advantages in golf compared with players who had not gone through puberty.
In a statement, the LPGA said: “This 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 ensure that all feel welcome within our organisation, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity and elite competitions.”
USGA chief executive Mike Whan said: “Our updated policy reflects a thoughtful and thorough process during which the USGA consulted with leading medical professionals from around the world.”