Hayley Davidson, the transgender golfer who nearly qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year, has criticized athletes who complain about competing against transgender athletes.
Davidson, She was kicked out of the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour in March. He made the comments on Instagram after the organisation changed its eligibility criteria earlier this year.
“I cannot understand athletes who blame transgender athletes for their own competitive failures,” Davidson wrote abruptly. “If you don’t take responsibility for your own failures, you’ll never be good enough to actually succeed.”
Davidson posted a video Monday of herself practicing her pitch shot onto the green as she begins preparations for Qualifying School, which begins later this month and could be a way for her to qualify for the LPGA Tour.
“3 strokes out of a total of 15 isn’t bad,” she captioned the post, with qualifying beginning at the end of August. “I’m super excited for Q School to start soon, especially since I missed out last year.”
The LPGA has an inclusive policy for transgender athletes who undergo surgery after male puberty, saying transgender athletes are “provided the opportunity for membership and event participation and efforts are made to ensure fair competition for all members and participants.”
“Any member or person seeking to participate in a tournament who has transitioned from male to female since puberty must verify their identity during the application/participation process and provide proof of gender in accordance with this policy,” the LPGA Tour said. “Failure to provide proof of gender at the time of gender transition and follow the procedures and steps set forth in this policy may result in the loss of membership and/or eligibility to participate in tournaments.”
“If there is serious doubt about an applicant’s eligibility, whether through a sponsor’s exemption or certification, the LPGA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require the player to certify transitional status in accordance with this policy.”
Transgender athletes “must undergo gender reassignment surgery before submitting an application for membership or participating in competition.”
“Applicants must demonstrate that they are ready, willing and able to undergo appropriate hormone therapy for at least one year and maintain testosterone levels in a verifiable manner sufficient to minimize or negate any gender advantage in athletic competition, and continue to maintain such levels for as long as the LPGA determines in consultation with its medical advisors and continues to compete in tournaments,” the LPGA Tour said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, any male gender transition applicant who declares their gender identity as male or commences hormone treatment for that purpose will not be eligible for membership or tournament participation.”
Transgender athletes will also be required to provide medical documentation, including all records of their gender reassignment surgery, hospital records related to the surgery, records of any subsequent treatment, testosterone test results and “a medical disclosure waiver that will allow the LPGA’s medical advisors to contact all treating physicians as deemed necessary.”
Davidson is First Alternative She was scheduled to play in the U.S. Women’s Open in May, but never got the chance to play in a major tournament.
