HACKENSACK, N.J. — A transgender woman aiming to participate in women’s USGA events has initiated a lawsuit asserting that a policy modification implemented in 2024 unlawfully prevented her from entering a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier last year.
Hailey Davidson has named the golf club that hosted the qualifier, along with the USGA, the LPGA, and three LPGA officials, in a lawsuit submitted on Thursday in New Jersey. She is pursuing unspecified damages.
The USGA and LPGA revised their gender policies for events starting in 2025, stating that participants must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female prior to experiencing male puberty to qualify for competition.
The 33-year-old Davidson did not transition until after puberty. She took part in a U.S. Open qualifier and LPGA Qualifying School under a different policy in 2024, but did not succeed in either attempt.
Requests for comments from the USGA and the LPGA were not immediately answered on Friday.
In her lawsuit, Davidson contended that the new policy effectively excludes transgender women from competing in USGA women’s events or the LPGA, as many states restrict minors from accessing hormones or puberty blockers.
When the USGA denied her entry into the qualifier, Davidson alleged that the Hackensack Golf Club breached the law by claiming that the USGA had authority over all eligibility decisions.
Davidson began hormone therapy in her early 20s in 2015 and underwent gender-affirming surgery in 2021, which was a requirement under the LPGA’s former gender policy. She achieved victory two years ago on a Florida mini-tour until that circuit later declared that participants must be assigned female at birth.
