LPGA confirms huge update to its gender policy effective from 2025 season
LPGA release update to gender policy for 2025: ‘Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and in all other elite LPGA competitions.”
The LPGA and USGA have both released an update to its gender policies today, effective starting in the 2025 season.
According to a statement posted on the LPGA website on 4 December 2024, ‘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.’
The statement adds: ‘Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events.’
The USGA also released a statement outlining the same policy changes.
Transgender athlete Hailey Davidson, who competed in the second stage of LPGA Qualifying in October, came up shy of an LPGA card but did earn limited Epson Tour status for the 2025 season.
But under today’s updated guidelines, Davidson will now be banned from competition.
Davidson had become the second transgender golfer to earn status on the lower-tier Epson Tour.
Bobbi Lancaster earned status in 2013 through Stage I of Q-School but never actually competed in an official event.
An LPGA statement read in part:
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 latest update on gender policy changes come two days after Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepped down as commissioner.
“Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan.
“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.”
The LPGA’s previous gender policy read: ‘Individuals who have undergone gender reassignment from male to female after puberty are eligible for membership and / or participation in tournaments, provided they comply with the eligibility requirements set forth below and provide certain documentation to LPGA (the suitability and acceptance of each as determined in LPGA’s sole discretion) in accordance with this policy.”
In 2010, players had voted to remove the ‘female at birth’ clause from its policy shortly after a transgender woman sued the tour in federal court
