Transgender Golfer Hailey Davidson Returning To LPGA Qualifying School Amid Tour's Gender Policy Review

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The LPGA Tour is set to review its current gender policy and implement any changes it sees fit by the start of the 2025 season, but until then, transgender golfer Hailey Davidson is eligible to try and qualify for a spot on the women's tour.

Davidson, who competed on multiple men's college golf teams, is among the 332 players signed up for LPGA Qualifying School set to begin later this week. This will be Davidson's third attempt at Q-School having not made it out of the first stage in both 2021 and 2022.

READ: Female Golfer Speaks Out After Losing To Trans Player In Qualifier: 'Not A Backup For Mediocre Male Athletes'

While multiple women's golf tours have banned transgender athletes (biological men) from competing on their circuits, the LPGA hasn't gone that direction. In fact, the last major change the LPGA made in regards to its gender policy came in 2010 when the tour voted to eliminate its requirement that players must be "female at birth." This change in policy came on the heels of a transgender woman filing a lawsuit against the LPGA.

Another policy change could be coming, but all signs point to the LPGA not wanting to make any until it's forced to do so, even if that change is based on common sense and simple biology.

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan sent a memo to players on both the LPGA and Epson Tour that the tour is planning to conclude a review of its current policy by the end of 2024 and implement any updates to the policy before the 2025 season, according to Golfweek.

Transgender Golfer Hailey Davidson Returning To LPGA Tour Qualifying School

Hailey Davidson is set to compete in LPGA Tour qualifying school yet again. (OutKick/MattReigle)

This is similar to what J.D. Sterbale, the LPGA's director of public relations, told OutKick in May of this year.

"In consultation with relevant medical, sports science and legal experts, we're continuing to review our current [gender] policy," Sterba shared in a statement.

Davidson came within one spot of qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Women's Open after earning the first alternate spot in a qualifier held in Florida. The U.S. Women's Open is governed by the USGA, an entirely separate organization from the LPGA. But, like on the LPGA, Davidson meets the current eligibility requirement to compete in USGA-sanctioned events after reportedly undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2021.

Hailey Davidson's Chances Of Qualifying For The LPGA Are Slim, But Still Exist

The Top 95 players and ties will advance to the qualifying stage (Stage II) in mid-October where the Top 125 and ties in that stage will earn status on the Epson Tour in 2025, which is the equivalent of the Korn Ferry Tour just below the PGA Tour on the men's side of golf. The final stage of LPGA Q-School will be held in December where players will be battling for status on the LPGA Tour for 2025.

In March, NXXT Golf, a women's professional tour Davidson was competing and winning on, announced that all competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate. The USGA and LPGA, the two most-prolific organizations in women's golf, have not taken such a stance. 

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.