Transgender women who have experienced male puberty are prohibited from competing in elite women’s tournaments due to new gender eligibility criteria issued by two national golf groups on Wednesday.
In a statement announcing its new policy, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, or LPGA, stated that it had conferred with leading authorities in the domains of sport physiology, medicine, science, and golf performance and had been informed that a player’s exposure to male puberty offers physical advantages that improve golf performance in comparison to players who have not.
A trans woman must prove that she has not gone through male puberty and that she has fulfilled certain testosterone standards in order to participate in elite competitions like the Ladies European Tour, the Epson Tour, and the LGPA Tour. According to the association, trans women who don’t fit these criteria can still participate in non-elite competitions.
According to a statement from the LPGA, the organization has revised its Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility to maintain the integrity and fairness of our top events while fostering an inclusive atmosphere for the larger LPGA community. Through the larger LPGA community, there is a place for all women to play golf. This idea served as the foundation for our policy’s development and will continue to direct our course going forward.
In its new gender eligibility standards, the United States Golf Association, or USGA, specified the same testosterone and puberty requirements as the LPGA. It also mentions that the goal of ensuring competitive fairness in its elite contests motivated the revision of the guidelines. Eight USGA women’s championship tournaments, such as the U.S. Women’s Open and the U.S. Girls Junior competition, will be subject to the new rule.
The revised rules, which go into effect in January, will prohibit transgender player Hailey Davidson of Scotland, who came very close to competing in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, from participating in the most prominent women’s golf competitions.
In a Wednesday Instagram story, Davidson stated, “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming.” prohibited from both the LPGA and the Epson. Thank you for nothing at all for the silence and the desire of those who choose to remain impartial. Your prolonged quiet is what caused this to occur.
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