Trans Golfer Hailey Davidson Sues USGA and LPGA Over Ban From Women’s Tournaments

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However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. Instagram/@haileydgolf Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson is suing two major golf leagues over a 2024 rules change that banned her from tournament play, accusing the leagues of violating anti-discrimination law. Davidson, 33, filed her lawsuit in New Jersey on March 19, according to ESPN .

She alleges that the United States Golf Association (USGA) and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) violated state law in 2024 when the organizations adopted new eligibility rules for trans players . Under the current policy, women’s golf tournaments are open only to athletes who were assigned female at birth, or who began medically transitioning before puberty. Because Davidson began her transition after puberty, she was barred from competing in a U.

S. Women's Open qualifier held at the Hackensack Golf Club in New Jersey last year, according to the lawsuit, which also names the club and three LPGA officials as defendants. Davidson alleges that the policy amounts to a ban on trans women in elite golf, as many states currently ban gender-affirming medical care before puberty.