The LPGA Tour’s gender policy change to bar transgender players from competing in women’s golf has been celebrated as a victory. But for some players, the move is a little too late. The damage is already done.
Following months of women’s golf being embroiled in controversy, the LPGA Tour and USGA made a change in its gender policy Wednesday, having huge repercussions for transgender players.
From 2025, players will be required to be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in tournaments.
After standing firm on its gender policy for over a decade, the LPGA dropped the bombshell news Wednesday – just two days after commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan announced she would resign in the New Year.
The announcement followed months of pressure, criticism and, in some cases, ‘praying’ from the sport’s female professionals, including LPGA veteran and Independent Women’s Forum ambassador Amy Olson.
‘I’m thrilled with the announcement.,’ Olson, who retired from playing competitively earlier this year, told DailyMail.com following Wednesday’s news.
The LPGA Tour (pictured commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan) announced a dramatic change in its gender policy this week
LPGA veteran and Independent Women’s Forum ambassador Amy Olson welcomed the change
‘I think that the new policy goes a long way to protecting fairness in women’s sports and making sure that women will continue to have the opportunities going forward that women have fought for for a number of years. It took a lot of courage by these organizations, but they did the right thing.
‘I would have loved to see this happen sooner. But this is the next best thing. It’s kind of like planting a tree. The best time to do it was 20 years ago, and the second best time is today.’
While the 32-year-old praised the courage of the LPGA and USGA, she also stressed the bravery of the hundreds of women who pleaded with the tour to protect the many, not the few.
‘For every single woman who did speak out and signed their name to a petition that we sent to these organizations, it did take courage on their part, and I applaud every single one of them,’ she said.
‘There have always been times where you wonder if you should be the one to stick your neck out. But I think the better question is, if we don’t, who will? We can’t expect other people to do it for us. As women, if we don’t stand up for our own rights, we can’t expect others to.’
Almost 300 players signed a letter sent to the LPGA Tour opposing the inclusion of transgender golfers competing in qualifying events. And among those hundreds of women was Lauren Miller.
‘I’ve always viewed it as common sense that men and women are different, and that’s okay. That’s the beauty. That we are made different, and it’s okay to have women’s sports, period,’ Miller told DailyMail.com as she explained her motive for joining the petition.
‘Women’s sports is at its best when it’s women only.’
Professional golfer Lauren Miller was one of almost 300 women who signed a letter to the LPGA
The LPGA’s current gender policy requires players to submit a written declaration stating that they identify as female, proof of gender reassignment surgery, and evidence of at least one year of hormonal therapy maintaining testosterone levels at a specified range.
But, as Olson, who earned her card in 2013, explained, the differences extend far beyond just hormone levels.
When it comes to the game of golf, there are ‘a number of advantages that biological males developed over the course of their lives that specifically affect their ability, regardless of what their current testosterone level is,’ she said.
Research has shown that bone structure, specifically in the hips and pelvis, in biological males can create more consistent contact with the ball, according to Olson. Wrist strength can also allow greater club head speed, more spin and the ability to get through thicker rough.
‘That’s not to say that every single man is stronger than every single woman, but in general, there’s a competitive advantage for men who have developed and gone through puberty with male hormones that can’t be reversed simply by hormone treatments,’ she added.
And Miller has firsthand experience of those differences. She previously played alongside Hailey Davidson – the trans golfer who has made headlines over the past year.
Davidson had been battling to earn her card on the tour this year. The 31-year-old missed qualifying for the US Women’s Open this year by one shot, She also came up short in LPGA Q-school but by making it to the second stage, she did earn status on the Epson Tour, which is the main feeder tour to the LPGA.
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has faced criticism for competing against biological women
Davidson, who played NCAA men’s Division II and III golf, is seen in 2015 prior to transitioning
Now, routes to both tours and the major championship have been closed off to her.
Davidson last competed as a male golfer in 2015, after which, she began hormone therapy treatments and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2021.
It was shortly after that reassignment surgery that Miller first teed up alongside Davidson in a qualifying tournament for the 2021 US Women’s Open.
During her round, Miller noticed the difference in sound of Davidson’s strikes, the lower timber of her voice, her bigger build and, of course, her greater distance with a golf club.
But it wasn’t until she followed Davidson on Instagram did she discover the player’s transition from men’s collegiate golfer to female professional.
‘I’m going to play in a US women’s open qualifier, so my thought is that I’m only playing against women,’ the SMU graduate recalled.
‘What I saw that day was a big variation in how far the ball went. I would sometimes be out driven by 10 yards. Sometimes I’d be out driven by 60 yards, which you don’t normally see in women’s golf. I found that very, very interesting or strange, but I was just trying to try to focus on my game.
‘It wasn’t until after the round when I received the follow request on Instagram from Hailey, who is incredibly public about their transition, that I had the revelation. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe the rules allowed this. I was immediately taken aback.’
Davidson began hormone therapy treatments and had gender reassignment surgery in 2021
Fast forward to the beginning of her professional career and Miller’s path crossed with Davidson’s yet again – and this time it cost her.
Davidson faced severe backlash in January when she won the Women’s Classic on the NXXT Golf circuit – a women’s professional mini tour – in a playoff. The woman she blocked from claiming the title? Miller.
11 months on from her playoff defeat to Davidson, Miller championed the LPGA’s decision.
‘I was obviously excited and incredibly hopeful about what this means for the sport of golf, and specifically women’s golf,’ Miller said. ‘The way that this trickles down at every level, the LPGA and USGA have such a say over all of all of women’s golf.
‘So, hearing this decision come out, and knowing the impact it has on lower level tours and even ultimately, at the highest level, is a huge win for women and for women’s golf.’
But, like Olson, Miller fears it may be a little too late, as she admits she wishes the decision could have come sooner – before anyone got hurt.
The LPGA had stood firm by its inclusion policy for transgender athletes who undergo surgery after male puberty for over a decade, having removed its requirement for golfers to be ‘female at birth’ in a policy change in 2010. And now, as a consequence, Miller claims, there are casualties.
‘I think it is a very tough situation for Davidson to have that stripped away. I can’t even begin to imagine what that feels like. It’s certainly a devastating blow,’ she said.
Miller lost to Davidson in a playoff on the NXXT Golf circuit back in January
‘I think the LPGA and the USGA should have had a little bit more urgency on this matter, so that it wouldn’t have had to have such a tough impact on an individual. If the rule didn’t change in 2010 we wouldn’t be here.
‘Choices and actions have consequences, and I hate that it is affecting an individual, but at the same time, I can confidently say it is the right decision. Fairness has to be first and foremost and maintaining the integrity of competition has to take precedence over inclusion. It’s great that they’re finally acknowledging that, but certainly would have been great if it had come sooner.’
Davidson furiously hit back at the change in a fiery response Wednesday, slamming those who remained ‘neutral’ or ‘silent’ on the issue as she laid the blame at their feet.
But both Olson and Miller insisted that their plight is not a personal witch hunt.
‘This isn’t a personal vendetta,’ Olson insisted. ‘Certainly Hailey’s participation in events brought awareness to the gender policy. But for those of us who have advocated over the last year for this to be changed, our issue is with the rules, not with the person.
‘Hailey’s been following the rules this whole time, and honestly, it was unfair to have Hailey go through Q-school, have the hope of playing on the Epson tour next year, and then have that stripped away. I would probably be frustrated if I were in that position.
‘I would have loved to have seen this change sooner, because I think that it’s horrible that Hailey has had to go through that. But our issue has always been with the rules.’
For both Olson and Miller, it’s also not enough.
The updated policy will still allow trans golfers to compete on the LPGA Tour and in USGA tournaments if they transitioned before puberty or before the age of 12, whichever comes first.
Both Olson and Miller insisted that their plight is not a personal vendetta against Davidson
And that, Olson believes, fosters ambiguity.
‘I would love to see it just go to “female at birth” and be really clear. I think there’s probably some gray area that it’s left now.
‘I would love it to just be crystal clear. I still see it as a little bit of a carrot dangling on a stick, if we’re allowing that. Someone could participate if they transition early enough. I think it puts pressure on people to transition too early before you know they’re ready.’
But for now, both Olson and Miller insist it’s a victory.