© @haileydgolf/InstagramTransgender golf competitor Hailey Davidson
The NXXT Women's Pro Tour,a professional women's golf tour based in Florida, has updated its policy to ban transgender athletes from competition, announcing Friday that only competitors who are "biological female at birth" will be able to participate in tour-sanctioned events.
This decision follows transgender golfer Hailey Davidson's controversial win at the NXXT Women's Classic earlier this year.
NXXT GOLF CEO Stuart McKinnon described in a statement the change in policy as a "crucial" step in helping to "uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women's sports."
© Fox NewsTransgender Hailey Davidson competed in the NXXT Women’s Championship golf tournament at Rio Pinar, in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 24, 2024
The new policy, announced on International Women's Day, goes into effect Friday.
"Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate," a press release from the NXXT Women's Pro Tour read. "This decision underscores the organization's commitment to maintaining the integrity of women's professional golf and ensuring fair competition."
The decision to change the tour's policy comes weeks after transgender golfer Hailey Davidson won the NXXT Women's Classic in a playoff - a win that Davidson said at the time put the golfer in first place in the race to earn an Epson Tour exemption.
The Epson Tour is the developmental tour of the LPGA Tour. The top 10 players of the Epson Tour graduate to the LPGA Tour.
The backlash from Davidson's victory prompted NXXT to release a statement explaining its then-policy and how Davidson met the requirements of eligibility.
"The NXXT Women's Pro Tour's policies, especially concerning gender, have been formulated in alignment with those of the LPGA and USGA. This approach is crucial in maintaining the integrity of our partnership with the LPGA and ensuring a fair and consistent competitive environment. When Hailey Davidson joined the tour, she complied with these policies by providing necessary documentation, including validation from the LPGA and USGA, which also facilitated her participation in the 2022 Q-School."
The tour said in response that it would be polling its members on their gender policy and asking Davidson to undergo additional testosterone testing.
Reader Comments
He was born a man and will die a man - he can't change that even with surgery and drugs!
Yawn - Reductio ad absurdum 🤡💩🎪
There are known differences beyond just hormonal that separates male from female. Skeletal structure is completely different & known. Skeletal structure definitely would play a role in a person’s ability to Golf. Especially driving long range shots.
The dark legacy of Magnus Hirschfeld [Link]
protect all children everywhere , they are humanity's future after all .