2 weeks Ago By USA TODAY Sports - Golfweek
Hailey Davidson came up short in her quest to become the first transgender golfer to earn an LPGA card. Davidson closed with an even-par 72 at the second stage of LPGA Qualifying at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida, on Friday. A total of 43 players advanced to December's Final Qualifying.
Davidson's four-round total of 2-over 290 put her six shots back of the cut line. Davidson does, however, leave with limited Epson Tour status for the 2025 season. She becomes the second transgender golfer to earn status on the developmental circuit.
Bobbi Lancaster earned status in 2013 through Stage I of LPGA Q-School but never actually competed in an official event. Players who finished in the top 80 but did not advance to Final Qualifying will be placed into Category I on the Epson Tour Priority List for 2025. Remaining players who completed 72 holes will be placed into Category K, in order of their qualifying finish.
For context, 217 players were ahead of Category K on the 2024 Epson Tour Priority List at the start of the year. Davidson declined to take questions on Friday when approached by an LPGA official after her round. Earlier this week, the Independent Women’s Forum that was sent to the LPGA, USGA and IGF (International Golf Federation) last August calling for the organizations to repeal all policies and rules that allow biological males to compete in women’s events.
The letter states that “it is essential for the integrity and fairness of women’s golf to have a clear and consistent participation policy in place based on a player’s immutable sex.” The LPGA sent a memo of its own to players in August stating that the tour planned to conclude a lengthy review of its current Gender Policy by year’s end and would implement any updates to the policy before the 2025 season. In 2010, the LPGA voted to eliminate its requirement that players be “female at birth” not long after a transgender woman filed a lawsuit against the tour.
Earlier this year, Davidson came within one spot of qualifying for the 79th U.S. Women’s Open, the biggest championship in women’s golf.
She had primarily competed on NXXT Golf until the Florida-based mini tour announced in March that competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate. A three-time winner on the tour, Davidson ranked second on the mini tour’s season standings at the time of the ban. She had played nine times this season on the NXXT.
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