Hailey Davidson, a 33-year-old transgender golfer, sued the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the U.S. Golf Association on Tuesday, challenging new policies that bar athletes who experienced male puberty from competing in women’s events, according to her lawsuit.
The LPGA said in a statement it was aware of the lawsuit and would “let that process play out on the proper forum.” The organization said its “gender policy was developed through a thoughtful, expert-informed process and is grounded in protecting the competitive integrity of elite women’s golf,” the statement said.
The USGA and LPGA revised their eligibility rules for events in 2025 and beyond, requiring players to be assigned female at birth or to have transitioned to female before undergoing male puberty, the lawsuit says. Davidson said she did not transition until after puberty and that she competed in a U.S. Open qualifier and LPGA Qualifying School under an earlier policy in 2024, falling short in both efforts, according to the filing.
Davidson’s lawsuit contends the new policies effectively ban many transgender women from LPGA and USGA events because some states prohibit minors from taking hormones or using puberty blockers, the filing says. The suit also alleges that when the USGA denied Davidson entry into a qualifier, the Hackensack Golf Club violated the law by saying the USGA controlled all eligibility decisions, the complaint states.
According to the lawsuit, Davidson began hormone treatments in her early 20s in 2015 and underwent gender-affirming surgery in 2021, a step that was required under the LPGA’s previous policy. Davidson also sued the NXXT women’s tour in December after it changed its rules. NXXT and attorneys from America First Legal filed a motion to dismiss in February. NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon told Fox News Digital, “We are asking the courts to dismiss the claims, and we’re addressing the matter,” and said the changes were aimed at “protecting women’s sports” and ensuring “clarity and competitive integrity.”
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
