Transgender golfer Hayley Davidson has advanced to the next round of Qualifying School in the race to qualify for the LPGA Tour.
Davidson had to finish in the top 95 at the LPGA Q-Series: Qualifying Stage this week in Rancho Mirage, California.
He finished the final round with a score of 71 (1 under par) and tied for 42nd with a four-round total of 284.
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Transgender golfer Hayley Davidson is competing in the qualifying stages of the LPGA Q Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
Davidson will now move on to a qualifying tournament at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida, from Oct. 15-18. If he again finishes among a certain number of golfers there, he will advance to the final qualifying tournament in Mobile, Alabama, in December.
Davidson shot 72, 72, 69 and 71 over his four rounds this weekend to finish at 4 under par.
The tournament winner, amateur Ashley Menne, shot 4-under par (68) to finish at 16-under par on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, the same course where Davidson shot 1-under par on Sunday.
Transgender golfers “cannot understand players who blame transgender competitors for their own competitive failures”
Davison, who nearly qualified for this year's U.S. Women's Open, has been courting controversy in the tennis world, especially after comments she made about players expressing their unhappiness with competing against a fellow transgender player.
“I will never understand athletes who blame transgender athletes for their own failures in competition,” Davidson wrote on Instagram recently during a practice session for Qualifying School. “If you don't take responsibility for your mistakes, you'll never be good enough to actually succeed.”
Davidson also spoke out after the NXXT Women's Professional Tour announced in March that players must be “biologically female at birth” to compete in its events.
Transgender golfer Hayley Davidson is competing in the qualifying stages of the LPGA Q Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the next three NXXT tournaments for which I had already registered and been approved to play,” Davidson wrote on his Instagram Story at the time.
“They changed course mid-season after I'd already signed and finished second in the Player of the Year race.”
Davidson won the Women's Classic on January 18, her first victory in more than two years, and the win also put her in position to earn a spot on the EPSON Tour, the LPGA's official qualifying tour, at the end of the season.
However, the NXXT Women's Professional Tour faced significant backlash over Davison's participation and made rule changes that effectively banned her from future tournaments.
“The policies of the NXXT Women's Professional Tour, particularly those related to gender, are developed in alignment with those of the LPGA and USGA. This approach is critical to maintaining the integrity of our partnership with the LPGA and ensuring a fair and consistent competitive environment,” the tour's statement at the time read. “When Hayley Davidson joined the tour, she complied with these policies by submitting the necessary paperwork, including approval from the LPGA and USGA, which also facilitated her participation in Qualifying School in 2022.”
Meanwhile, the LPGA now has an inclusive policy for transgender athletes who have had surgery after male puberty, saying transgender athletes are “provided the opportunity for membership and event participation and efforts are made to ensure a fair playing field for all members and participants.”
(Scott Halleran/Getty Images/File)
“Any member or tournament participant 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 tournament participation.”
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“If there are serious questions about an applicant's eligibility, including sponsor exemptions or certification, the LPGA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require the player to certify transitional status in accordance with this policy.”
Fox News' Ryan Gaydas and Paulina Deday contributed to this report.
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