LPGA, USGA change gender policies, banning certain male players at birth

of LPGA AND USGA announced updates to their respective gender policies on Wednesday, placing new restrictions on transgender athletes competing.

Beginning in 2025, golfers must be assigned female at birth or undergo gender reassignment before puberty to compete in both the LPGA Tour and USGA women’s events.

The USGA’s Gender Competitive Fairness Policy was created with the goal of maintaining equity in USGA women’s competition without allowing an unfair advantage for female athletes who have received the performance benefits of male puberty. According to a USGA press release, the policy is supported by current scientific and medical research showing that differences in athletic performance exist between the biological sexes, and such differences begin to occur during the onset of puberty.

“We remain committed to providing opportunities for everyone to compete for a national title or team, but we have made changes to our eligibility criteria that reflect current scientific data and strive to maintain competitive integrity,” USGA CEO Mike Wan the notice says. “Our updated policy reflects a thoughtful and thorough process during which the USGA consulted with leading medical professionals from around the world.”

While the policy will govern USGA championships in 2025 and beyond, it is not intended to apply to recreational, non-elite competitions or participating events, teams or leagues.

The LPGA’s gender policy aligns with that of the USGA and was informed by a panel of experts in medicine, science, sports physiology, golf performance and gender policy law. The group advised that the effects of male puberty provide competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.

The policy provides that competitors who were assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA events, while players who were assigned male at birth and who have passed male puberty are not. right to compete. LPGA recreational programs and non-elite events use different criteria than the updated gender policy for tournament-level competition.

“Our policy reflects a broad, science-based and comprehensive approach,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Same said in a press release. “The policy represents our ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone feels welcome within our organization, while maintaining the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”

Prior to the policy update, the USGA and LPGA allowed biological males to compete against biological females if they had undergone gender reassignment surgery and met hormone therapy requirements.

In October, transgender golfer Hailey Davidson competed in the second round of the LPGA Q-School but failed to advance. Days before the Q-School prequalifications, Outkick reported275 female golfers had signed a letter sent to the LPGA, USGA and International Golf Federation, asking those organizations to ban certain male players in the east from competing in women’s events.