A women’s golf league is changing its rules to prohibit trans-identifying players after a biological man won a tournament.
Hailey Davidson, who played golf on a men’s college team, won the NXXT Women’s Classic at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Florida.
“Honestly this one came as a bit of a surprise to me,” Davidson said on social media. “Being 3 shots back with two holes to play I got myself into a playoff after sticking it to 3 feet on the 18th hole. We tied the first playoff hole with birdies and then a Par on the second earned me my first win in 2.5 years!”
“I had come so close lately with a playoff loss 3 starts ago to then finishing one back last week but this is why you never give up no matter where you think you are at in a tournament! It’s never over until that last putt goes in on 18 so push till the end!” the golfer added.
Following the victory, NXXT Golf said in a statement, “Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate. This decision underscores the organization’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition.”
“As we navigate through the evolving landscape of sports, it is crucial to uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women’s sports, “NXXT GOLF CEO Stuart McKinnon stated. “Our revised policy is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to celebrating and protecting the achievements and opportunities of female athletes. Protected categories are a fundamental aspect of sports at all levels, and it is essential for our Tour to uphold these categories for biological females, ensuring a level playing field.”
Davidson responded to the policy change, writing on Instagram, “Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the next 3 NXXT tournaments that I had already signed up for and been approved to play. They changed their policy mid season, after me signing up already and being 2nd in the Player of the Year race.”
Earlier this year, former NCAA swimming champion Riley Gaines advocated for creating funds to pay female professional golfers who refuse to compete against biological men, American Faith reported.
“We have to incentivize not participating in the farce,” Gaines said on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. “I’ve talked to so many of these girls before publicly making this statement, and every single one of these girls who’s had to compete against this male, they tell me: Riley, I can’t not compete because I have sponsorships and I have endorsements, and this is my job. If I don’t do this, I don’t have income.”
“You guys shouldn’t have to be scared,” Gaines added. “And I think if we created… some sort of crowdfunding effort, I think we could raise the money easily.”
