Hailey Davidson, a transgender woman, responds to the announcement that she will no longer be participating in any golf events on NXXT.
Female transgender Hailey Davidson is not permitted to play in any more NXXT Golf Tour events. The circuit has declared that all players must be female at birth in order to be eligible to compete.
On International Women’s Day, it was announced that Davidson, 30, would not be allowed to compete in any NXXT tournaments going forward due to a new gender policy.
The decision was made to emphasize the organization’s “commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition,” according to a statement from NXXT.
Davidson had already registered to compete, but she has now been disqualified from the next three tournaments on the schedule.
In addition, she was sitting second in the Player of the Year competition after placing second twice and winning once in nine different competitions.
The NXXT Women’s Classic was won by Davidson in January.
The top five players in the NXXT standings will each receive two Epson Tour exemptions for the upcoming season, so Davidson’s hopes of competing on the LPGA Tour are severely damaged by the decision to ban her.
The Epson Tour is the LPGA’s development feeder tour, comparable to the PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour and the DP World Tour’s Challenge Tour.
Hailey Davidson, a transgender woman, is prohibited from NXXT events
More details about the decision to ban Davidson were provided by NXXT CEO Stuart McKinnon.
McKinnon said:
“It is essential to preserve the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women’s sports as we navigate the changing sports landscape.”Our steadfast dedication to honoring and safeguarding the accomplishments and opportunities of female athletes is reflected in our updated policy.
“A level playing field is ensured by our Tour maintaining protected categories for biological females, which is a fundamental component of sports at all levels.”
He added:
“It is an honor for NXXT Golf to take the lead in developing women’s golf, offering a venue that not only showcases the extraordinary skill of female players across the globe but also makes sure the competition is fair for each and every one of our players.”
Davidson expressed her anger over the news on Instagram, calling it a “slap in the face to all female athletes.”
She posted:
“I have been banned (removed) from the next three NXXT tournaments that I had previously registered for and been granted permission to participate in, effective immediately.”They altered their rules in the middle of the season, following my registration and my placing second in the Player of the Year competition.”The idea that any male can surpass female athletes, despite their years of arduous training, is an insult to all of the hardworking female athletes out there.
“You think you’re going after me, but in reality, all other female athletes are being attacked and put down by you.”
After her NXXT ban, Davidson also targeted some of her closest friends and family.
She posted:
“In times like these, people’s true natures really show. When you most need help, so many people turn their backs on you.”
When Davidson participated in an LPGA Q-School tournament in 2022 and became the second transgender player to do so, she came the closest to realizing her dream of playing on the LPGA Tour.
She did not, however, make the cut.
Bobbi Lancaster, 63 at the time, was reportedly the first transgender player to participate in a qualifier.
Davidson’s maiden victory occurred in 2021 on the National Women’s Golf Association (NWGA), where she defeated several notable LPGA Tour players, including Paula Creamer.
She first underwent hormone treatments on 24 September 2015, and she then underwent gender reassignment surgery, which is a six-hour procedure required under the LPGA Tour’s Gender Policy, in January 2021.
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