Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson opened the LPGA’s second round of qualifying with a 78 on Tuesday as reports emerged of 275 female players signing a petition calling on major golf associations to scrap policies that allow people assigned male at birth to compete in women’s events.
Outkick reported that the Independent Women’s Forum shared a letter sent on August 19 to the LPGA, the US Golf Association and the International Golf Federation. The letter was sent three days before the pre-qualification phase of Q-school.
Davidson, who missed out on qualifying for this year’s US Women’s Open, tied for 42nd in the LPGA qualifier to advance to the next round.
The LPGA currently allows players who have post-puberty gender-affirming surgery and meet hormone therapy requirements to compete.
Davidson, who has been open about her transition, said in an Instagram post in March that the “LPGA policy is working well,” given the lack of success for transgender players at the top levels of women’s golf.
Golfweek obtained a memo from commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan in August informing players of the LPGA and Epson Tour that the tour will complete a review of its policy at the end of the year and make changes that will be implemented before next season.
The second round of qualifying, delayed a week by Hurricane Milton, began Tuesday at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. The top 35 and the tie advance to the finals. Any player who completes all four rounds receives a limited status on the Epson Tour for promotion.
Davidson’s round of 78 moved him into a tie for 171st in the field of 194 players.
The letter sent to the LPGA, USGA and IGF was signed by current and former players from various disciplines.
“It is important for the integrity and fairness of women’s golf to have a clear and consistent participation policy based on the gender of the player,” the letter said. “There’s a difference between the sexes — women and men — that affects our golf game a lot.”
Davidson had a scholarship to play on the men’s team at Wilmington University in Delaware before transferring to the men’s team at Christopher Newport in Virginia. Gosweek reported that she started hormone therapy in 2015 and had gender confirmation surgery in 2021.
Davidson won the tournament and finished second three times on the NXXT Golf Tour in Florida earlier this year. The minor circuit in March revised its eligibility policy to require all players to be assigned female at birth.
NXXT Golf was the second mini-tour to renew its policy. The Cactus Tour in Arizona announced last month that it would reinstate its birthday requirement for women to qualify.
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