According to the tour, this included feedback from a “array of stakeholders” to give competitive integrity in women’s competitions first priority.
The LPGA reportedly invested a year on this study stage, according to ESPN. Although the tour acknowledged that men had an advantage in the sport, it relied on the advice of its “working group” to support this claim.
“This working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”
The policy, according to LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, is “science-based and inclusive,” and it reflects a sustained dedication to making sure all competitors “feel welcome.”
Hailey Davidson, a guy playing as a woman who missed qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open by a single stroke, is perhaps the most well-known golfer impacted by these developments.
According to reports, Davidson had “gender reassignment surgery” in 2021 to comply with the former rules after starting hormone therapy in his early 20s in 2015.
