The LPGA Tour announced a gender eligibility overhaul from its previous rules that will see only female born athletes compete, addressing competition concerns regarding fairness
The LPGA Tour announced a fresh update to its gender eligibility rules in hopes of setting a new standard for inclusion and competitive integrity in women’s professional golf. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the LPGA and its affiliated tours will require that participants be “female at birth” to compete in its events.
The latest policy was unveiled in a statement released from Daytona Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. The new rule addresses fairness and competitive balance in women’s golf while navigating the complexities of gender identity in professional sports.
Under the updated policy, players assigned female at birth will be eligible to compete in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and other elite LPGA events. Players assigned males at birth and those who have experienced male puberty will not be eligible to participate.
The LPGA consulted a multidisciplinary team of sports physiology, science, and medicine experts to shape the guidelines. According to the women’s golf league, the primary objective is to ensure fairness in competition, with the organization citing the physical advantages conferred by exposure to male puberty as a decisive factor in the rule change. The policy outlines specific criteria in Sections 4.2 and 4.3:
- Section 4.2: “To be eligible to compete in Section 3.1 Elite Events, a Player whose Sex Assigned at Birth is male, must establish to the satisfaction of the Medical Manager and Expert Panel that they have not experienced any part of male puberty either Beyond Tanner Stage 2 or after age 12 [whichever comes first]”
- Section 4.3: “To be eligible to compete in any Section 3.1 Elite Events, a Player whose Sex Assigned at Birth is female, but who has used any growth or muscle promoting substance or method identified on the LPGA List of Prohibited Substances or Methods in connection with any reassignment treatment, prescribed by a physician or otherwise, must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Expert Panel that they do not have any continuing performance-enhancing benefit from such use.”
The USGA [United States Golf Association] also changed its policies to align with the LPGA’s vision. LPGA CEO Mike Whan addressed the rationale behind the policy in a statement. “We needed to be able to walk into any women’s event and confidently say that nobody here has a competitive advantage based on their gender. And this policy delivers that,” said Whan.
Players who meet the new criteria must file a Gender Eligibility Application with the LPGA Medical Manager and General Counsel within 60 days before playing in any event that they are qualified. The LPGA has pledged confidentiality for all related applications and test results, disclosing specifics only if the players or their representatives publicly comment.
The change would impact transgender tour player Hailey Davidson, who barely missed qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open this season. The old policy stated that players who are reassigned sexes must undergo gender reassignment surgery. In August, the Independent Women’s Forum conjured up a letter signed by players on the tour and sent to the LPGA, USGA, and IGF opposing the allowance.
Davidson released a series of Instagram story posts condemning the news. Davison wrote, “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA. All the silence, and people want to stay neutral, thanks for nothing. This happened because of all your silence. What a great birthday present for 2024,” the message continued. “Having the greatest achievement I’ve earned in my life taken from me.”