The LPGA and the U.S. Golf Association have unveiled new transgender policies that will take effect in the 2025 season. These policies, announced together on Wednesday, prevent athletes who have gone through male puberty from participating in women’s competitions.

Hailey Davidson, a transgender golfer who took part in the second stage of LPGA Qualifying in October, did not secure an LPGA card but did achieve limited Epson Tour status for the year 2025. She became the second transgender golfer to gain status on this developmental tour, following Bobbi Lancaster, who obtained her status in 2013 but never competed in an official event.

The newly established LPGA policy requires that players assigned male at birth demonstrate to the tour’s medical director and an expert panel that they have not experienced any phase of male puberty beyond Tanner Stage 2 or past the age of 12 (whichever criterion is reached first). Additionally, they must keep their testosterone levels in their serum below 2.5 nmol/L.

According to a statement from the LPGA:

“This policy was shaped by a group of leading experts in medicine, science, sports physiology, golf performance, and gender policy law, and was designed with feedback from numerous stakeholders. Its main goal is to safeguard the integrity of women’s professional tournaments and elite amateur competitions. The panel has indicated that the effects of male puberty can provide competitive benefits in golf compared to players who have not undergone it.”

These updated gender policies from the LPGA also apply to the Ladies European Tour, Epson Tour, and any other elite LPGA events.

“Our policy reflects a thorough and inclusive scientific approach,” stated outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “It confirms our assurance that everyone feels included in our organization while maintaining fairness and competitive balance across our top-tier competitions.”

With these updated guidelines, Davidson, who previously played on a men’s college golf team at Wilmington University, a NCAA Division II institution in Delaware, before switching to Christopher Newport’s men’s team, now finds herself ineligible. Davidson began her transition in 2015 and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2021.

In August, the Independent Women’s Forum submitted a letter to the LPGA, USGA, and IGF (International Golf Federation), signed by over 275 female golfers, urging these organizations to abolish all rules permitting biological males to compete in women’s events.

The USGA has also updated its policies, now termed the Competitive Fairness Gender Policy, which closely resembles the LPGA’s with only slight variations.

These new regulations in golf regarding transgender athletes are consistent with those established by World Aquatics and World Athletics Council, which oversees track and field. In June, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas lost a legal challenge against World Aquatics that claimed the policies were discriminatory. Thomas previously became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title in 2022.

“Our focus was on maintaining competitive fairness,” USGA CEO Mike Whan stated in an interview with Golfweek. “We want to be able to confidently tell any competitor in one of our women’s events that there is no competitive advantage associated with gender.”

Recently retired LPGA golfer Amy Olson, a former USGA champion, has publicly emphasized the need for organizations to revert to a policy that favors female athletes at birth. In an October interview with Golfweek, Olson expressed cautious optimism that the tour would take appropriate action.

“I feel very saddened that women’s organizations have delayed making changes to their gender policies for so long,” Olson remarked. “Real people are affected by these situations. I wish actions could have been taken before specific individuals became involved.”