LPGA Tour Updates Gender Policy To Only Allow Competitors That Were Assigned As “Female At Birth”

The LPGA Tour has decided to take a stand. They announced today a new "Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility," which basically lays out that starting in 2025, only golfers that are born as female will be allowed to compete on the LPGA Tour. This comes just a few months removed from Hailey Davidson - a transgender golfer - almost qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open. Starting next year, and based upon these new specifics below, Davidson would be ineligible to qualify or compete in any LPGA sanctioned event: "The LPGA has updated its Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility, effective starting with the 2025 season. The policy -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. 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." The LPGA is one of the first women's leagues to enact this level of gender policy. The press release went on to clarify and state that new restrictions will blanket over other tours as well, and that these new rules are being established to protect the opportunities that women golfers have to compete at professional and amateur levels:

"Accordingly, 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. 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. 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."

https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1864338959276626380 The LPGA Commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, is set to leave her position at the beginning of the year. But before she exits her post, she wanted to make it clear that she was very pleased with the LPGA's new guidelines, which she says are backed by a scientific and inclusive approach: "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." When it comes down to it, the LPGA seemingly made this decision to protect the fairness of the game of golf - specifically amongst the women of the LPGA Tour. As you might imagine, the new guidelines have made a stir online, though many seem to be in full support of the LPGA's stand against unfair competition:

On behalf of my four young granddaughters, and female athletes of all ages, and all those who love them, and all those who value fairness in sports and competition, THANK YOU @LPGA!!

— Erik P. Brown (@ErikPBrown1) December 4, 2024

Thank you for protecting WOMEN in sports.

— Bree McConnell 🇺🇲 (@breepm12) December 4, 2024

Yes. Finally a women’s organization realizes they are women and not men. The first organization to do so. Hope other organizations follow suit. Good for the LPGA

— Bjringo 🇺🇸 (@Bjringo_2) December 4, 2024

THANK YOU! Sadly, it takes courage to take a stand for women these days, but I commend you for doing what’s right! I’m raising golfing girls who hope to someday grace your tour. Beating men is one less hurdle for them to overcome now.

— GunsnGolf (@gunsngolf) December 4, 2024

It’s almost like your gender policy was in the name all along. Glad y’all figured it out and made the choice to protect women’s golf.

— Devin (@devinmwood) December 4, 2024