Major professional women’s golf tour NXXT Golf made it clear on Friday that individuals who were born as males will not be allowed to take part in their competitions, even after gender transition, effectively banning the participation of a controversial transgender golfer.
“Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate” to take part in the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour, NXXT Golf said in a March 8 post.
“This decision underscores the organization’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition.” NXXT Golf’s decision to only allow biological females to participate in the tour comes after transgender golfer Hailey Davidson snatched a win in the NXXT Women’s Classic event earlier in January.
The win raised the possibility that Mr. Davidson, who was born male and transitioned to female in 2021, could end up becoming the first biologically male golfer to qualify for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour.
Mr. Davidson’s win at the NXXT Women’s Classic event had put him on track to earn an exemption to the Epson tour. The top 10 players of the Epson tour would then qualify to take part in the LPGA tour. The new birth sex requirement ensures that Mr. Davidson is banned from taking part in NXXT Golf’s tours.
“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,” said NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon.
“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.”
Mr. Davidson addressed the policy update on Instagram Stories.
“Effective immediately, I have been removed (banned) from the next 3 NXXT tournaments that I already signed up for and been approved to play,” he wrote.
“They changed their policy mid-season, after me signing up already and being 2nd in Player of the Year race.”
According to NXXT Golf, the new birth-sex requirement was instituted after “thoughtful deliberation and extensive consultations” with several stakeholders from the sporting community.
NXXT conducted an anonymous poll among its players on the issue of the tour’s gender policy to ascertain their opinions. The results of the survey have not yet been publicized.
“NXXT Golf is honored to lead in promoting and advancing women’s golf, providing a platform that not only highlights the exceptional talent of women golfers worldwide but also ensures the competition remains equitable for all of our players,” Mr. McKinnon stated.
Transgender Advantage Over Women
Following Mr. Davidson’s January win, NXXT announced they would ask the golfer to undergo additional testosterone testing after some people raised concerns that he may have physical advantages.
In an interview with Sky News that month, Mr. Davidson said he recognizes “that I did have an unfair advantage a few years ago.” However, “I’ve been transitioning for nine years. I’ve been on hormones for almost nine years, I had surgery … coming up almost on three years. I’ve lost just over 50 miles an hour swing speed.”
Studies have shown that trans athletes can retain some of their physical advantages even years after transitioning.
A 2020 study published at the National Library of Medicine examined the impact of gender transition hormones on athletic performance among transwomen and transmen.
“Prior to gender-affirming hormones, transwomen performed 31 percent more push-ups and 15 percent more sit-ups in 1 min and ran 1.5 miles 21 percent faster than their female counterparts. After 2 years of taking feminising hormones, the push-up and sit-up differences disappeared but transwomen were still 12 percent faster,” the study said.
A study from 2021 pointed out that the performance gap between males and females “becomes significant” at puberty. “The performance gap is more pronounced in sporting activities relying on muscle mass and explosive strength, particularly in the upper body.”
Men have a 10–13 percent advantage over women when it comes to rowing, swimming, and road running; a 16–22 percent advantage in football kicks, tennis serves, and pole vaulting; a 29–34 percent advantage in volleyball serves, weightlifting, and golf long drives; and a more than 50 percent advantage in baseball pitches, and field hockey drag flicks.
The study pointed out that “the muscular advantage enjoyed by transgender women is only minimally reduced when testosterone is suppressed.” It recommended sports organizations to “consider this evidence when reassessing current policies regarding participation of transgender women in the female category of sport.”
Mr. Davidson’s win at the NXXT Women’s Classic had triggered widespread criticism, with female activist Riley Gaines calling on female golfers to boycott women’s events.
“If the women competing against male golfer, Hailey Davidson, don’t tee off, I will personally pay any expenses, sponsorships, and/or prize money lost. @SethDillon has agreed to contribute as would many others I imagine. We must stop participating in the farce at large,” she said in a Jan. 24 X post. Seth Dillon is the CEO of Babylon Bee.
