Transgender Athletes Compete in Women’s Disc Golf Championships

Five transgender men participated in the US ProDisk Golf Association (PDGA) women’s championships, collectively earning nearly $5,000 in prize money.

James “Nova” Politt took home the Women’s 55+ Pro Division National Championship, winning $2,050. Politt, who has previously been a PDGA Masters World Champion in both 2021 and 2022, mentioned on social media that he noticed some women either switched categories or dropped out of the Women’s Pro 50+ division. This, he suggested, might stem from discomfort with transgender athletes competing. His partner, Salvatore “Kimberly” Giannola, finished second in the women’s 50+ category, securing $1,100 and previously won $2,076 in 2025.

Logan “Natalie” Ryan ranked 20th in the Women’s Pro Open with a prize of $1,440, and has amassed $5,300 and $40,000 across 30 wins in women’s divisions since 2019.

Ryan’s involvement in women’s events has drawn scrutiny in recent years. A report states that in December 2022, he initiated legal action against the PDGA regarding changes made to its gender identity policy.

The revised rules indicated that “players assigned male at birth” must have started a medical transition before adolescence to compete among women. Additionally, it required that these athletes maintain testosterone levels below 2.0 nmol/L, with an average normal level for women typically ranging from 0.20 to 1.67 nmol/L.

Following Ryan’s legal threats, the PDGA withdrew its policy and stated in a press release that due to a favorable ruling for Ryan, the policy restrictions were no longer in place. The PDGA and Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) were listed as defendants in lawsuits connected to these policies in California and Minnesota, where judges have issued orders that override them. The PDGA mentioned that it is not equipped to lead various litigations on this subject.