Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has advanced to the next round of Q School and is fighting for her LPGA Tour card.
Davidson had to finish among the top 95 female golfers this week during the pre-qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series in Rancho Mirage, California.
After shooting 71 strokes (1 under par) in the final round, her total score after four rounds was 284, which placed her in a tie for 42nd place.
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson appears in the pre-qualifying phase of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
Davidson will now move on to the qualifying tournament, which will take place from October 15 to 18 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. If Davidson finishes among a certain number of golfers there again, she can advance to the final qualifying tournament, which will take place in Mobile, Alabama in December.
Davidson shot 72, 72, 69 and 71 in her four rounds this weekend and finished at 4 under par.
The winner of the tournament, amateur Ashley Menne, was 16 under par after shooting 4 under par (68) on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, the same course where Davidson shot 1 under par on Sunday.
Transgender golfer doesn’t understand athletes who blame a transgender competitor for their own athletic failures.
Davison, who nearly qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open this year, has sparked controversy within the sport, particularly after comments about athletes complaining about competing against trans athletes like herself.
“I will never understand when athletes blame a transgender competitor for their own sporting failures,” Davidson recently wrote on Instagram while training for Q School. “If you don’t take responsibility for your failures, you’ll never be good enough to make it.”
Davidson also spoke out after the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour announced in March that eligible competitors must be “biologically female at birth” to compete in events.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson appears in the pre-qualifying phase of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the next three NXXT tournaments that I have already registered for and received clearance to compete in,” Davidson wrote in her Instagram stories at the time.
“They changed their policy in the middle of the season after I had already signed up and finished second in the race for Player of the Year.”
Davidson won the Women’s Classic on January 18, her first victory in more than two years, and earned a season-ending exemption to play on the Epson Tour, the LPGA’s official qualifying tour.
However, the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour faced heavy criticism because of Davison’s participation and changed the rules, effectively excluding her from future competitions.
“The NXXT Women’s Pro Tour’s policies, particularly with respect to gender, have been formulated in accordance with those of the LPGA and USGA. This approach is critical to maintaining the integrity of our partnership with the LPGA and ensuring a fair and consistent competitive environment,” the tour said in a statement at the time. “When Hailey Davidson joined the tour, she complied with these policies by providing the required documentation, including an endorsement from the LPGA and USGA, which also enabled her to participate in Q-School in 2022.”
The LPGA now has an acceptance policy for transgender athletes who undergo surgery after male puberty. It states that transgender athletes “will have a path to membership and the opportunity to participate in events, and that we strive to ensure fair competition for all members and participants.”
(Scott Halleran/Getty Images/File)
“An applicant for membership or participation in a tournament who undergoes a male-to-female gender reassignment surgery after puberty must identify herself during the application/entry process and provide proof of gender in accordance with this policy,” the LPGA Tour states. “Failure to provide proof of gender in the event of a gender reassignment surgery and to follow the procedures and processes set forth in this policy may result in disqualification from membership and/or participation in a tournament.
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“If there is reasonable doubt as to the suitability of an applicant, including with respect to sponsorship exemptions or qualifications, the LPGA shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to require the athlete in question to provide proof of her transitional status under this policy.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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