Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has advanced to the next round of Q School as she competes for her LPGA Tour card.
Davidson had to finish in the top 95 golfers at Rancho Mirage in California this week during the pre-qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series.
After finishing with a final round of 71 (1 under par), her four-round total was 284 to finish tied for 42nd.
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson appears in the pre-qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
Davidson now moves on to the qualifying tournament, which will be held at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida, from October 15-18. From there, if Davidson again finishes among a certain number of golfers, he will be eligible to advance to the final qualifying tournament in December in Mobile, Alabama.
Davidson shot 72, 72, 69, 71 in his four rounds this weekend to finish 4 under par.
Tournament winner Ashley Menne was 16 under par after shooting 4-under 68 at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, the same course where Davidson shot 1 under on Sunday.
A transgender golfer doesn't understand athletes who blame a transgender competitor for their own sporting failures
Davison, who nearly qualified for the U.S. Women's Open this year, has caused controversy within the sport, particularly after comments about athletes who complained about competing against trans athletes like her.
“I will never understand athletes who blame a transgender competitor for their own sporting failures,” Davidson wrote on Instagram recently while practicing for the Q School. “If you don't take responsibility for your failures, you will never be good enough to succeed.”
Davidson also spoke out after the NXXT Women's Pro Tour announced in March that eligible participants had to be “biologically female at birth” in order to compete in events.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson appears in the pre-qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)
“Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the upcoming 3 NXXT tournaments that I have already signed up for and been approved to participate in,” Davidson wrote on her Instagram Stories at the time.
“They changed their policy mid-season, after I had signed up and finished second in the Player of the Year race.”
Davidson won the Women's Classic on Jan. 18, marking her first win in more than two years. It also put her in position to earn an exemption for the Epson Tour at the end of the season, which is the LPGA's official qualifying tour.
However, the NXXT Women's Pro Tour faced significant backlash over Davison's participation, and they changed the rules that effectively banned her from future competitions.
“The policies of the NXXT Women's Pro Tour, particularly as they relate to gender, have been formulated in alignment with those of the LPGA and USGA. This approach is crucial to maintaining the integrity of our partnership with the LPGA and ensuring a fair and consistent competitive environment,” a statement from the Tour read at the time. “When Hailey Davidson joined the Tour, she complied with these policies by providing the necessary documentation, including validation from the LPGA and USGA, which also facilitated her participation in the 2022 Q-School.”
Meanwhile, the LPGA currently has an inclusion policy for transgender athletes who undergo surgery after male puberty, stating that transgender athletes have a “pathway to membership and the opportunity to participate in events, and in an effort to ensure fair competition for all members and participants.”
(Scott Halleran/Getty Images/File)
“An individual applying for membership or tournament entry who has undergone a gender change from male to female after puberty must identify themselves during the application/registration process and provide proof of their gender in accordance with this Policy,” the LPGA Tour says. “Failure to provide proof of gender when a gender change has occurred and failure to comply with the process and procedures set forth in this Policy may result in disqualification from eligibility for membership and/or tournament entry.
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“If there is a genuine doubt as to the eligibility of any applicant, including through sponsor exemptions or qualifiers, the LPGA shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to require such athlete to justify his or her transition status in accordance with this Policy.”
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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