In somewhat surprising news, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour announced on Wednesday, December 4 that it has made a startling, quite major change to its eligibility rules for its golf competitions for those aspiring LPGA players who are transgender. The rule changes come amidst much public agitation regarding eligibility rules for women’s sports.
In the findings released on Wednesday, the LPGA said that the report was written by its working group, one which included experts “in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law.” As a general summary, those experts found “the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”
Beginning the report, the LPGA said, “The LPGA has updated its Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility, effective starting with the 2025 season. 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.”
Continuing, it described the new rule, saying, “Accordingly, 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. Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events.”
Hedging a bit, and nothing that there are other rules for other events, the statement then provided, “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community. For more details, please refer to the full policy at lpga.com/gender-policy.”
The introduction for that full policy provides, “For more than seven decades, the LPGA has been a leader in championing diversity and inclusion, both on and off the golf course. From our founding members to our current initiatives, we have continuously strived to create a welcoming environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels empowered to participate in the sport. As the global leader in women’s golf, the LPGA is committed to using our unique platform to empower, inspire, and advance opportunities for girls and women, and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion remains integral to who we are and what we do.”
It adds, “At the same time, the LPGA represents the pinnacle of women’s golf where the best female players in the world compete to earn a living, and it is critical that the LPGA ensures in our rules and policies that the playing field is fair and level for the female competing in our elite events. In consulting with top experts in the fields of medicine, science, sport physiology and golf performance, we have been advised that a Player’s exposure to male puberty provides physical advantages that are beneficial to golf performance compared to Players who have not had such exposure.”
It further notes, “The LPGA has updated our Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility to uphold the fairness and integrity of our elite competitions while providing an inclusive environment for the broader LPGA community, which remains accessible to all women for non-elite events and activities. Guided by medical, scientific, legal expertise, and consultation with our members, the Policy seeks to balance inclusivity with ensuring competitive integrity at the highest levels of play. There is a place for all women to participate in golf through the broader LPGA community. This principle guided the creation of our Policy and will continue to guide our future.”
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. commenting on the new policy, said, “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach. 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.”
Trans golfer Hailey Davidson, commenting on the news and those who didn’t chime in on the issue when it was being decided, responded to the new rules by saying, “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.”
Watch pro golfer Zoë Walker comment on the LPGA’s rules here:
By Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA – _MG_3532, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6995867
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