Major golf organizations are changing who can compete in women’s tournaments, with new rules taking effect January 1.
The LPGA and USGA announced Wednesday that players in women’s events must either be born female or have transitioned before experiencing male puberty.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
It’s a big shift for women’s golf, affecting everything from the LPGA Tour to the U.S. Women’s Open.
"Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach," said Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who’s wrapping up her time as LPGA commissioner.
The rules are pretty specific: Anyone assigned male at birth needs to have transitioned before age 12 or before certain physical changes happen. They also need to keep their testosterone levels really low – below what doctors call "2.5 nmol/L."
Both organizations say they’re trying to balance being welcoming with keeping competition fair.
The LPGA pointed out that there are still plenty of opportunities for everyone to play professional golf, especially in "open" events where anyone can compete regardless of gender.
Mike Whan, who runs the USGA, explained their thinking: "We remain committed to providing opportunities for everyone to compete for a national title or team, but have made changes that reflect current scientific data."
There are some small differences between how the two organizations will handle things. The USGA has specific rules about transgender men competing in women’s events – they can’t have used any testosterone. The LPGA’s rules focus more on making sure no one has any lasting advantages from previous treatments.
Both groups will have special committees to review cases and make sure everyone follows the rules.
The changes come as sports organizations worldwide wrestle with questions about fairness and inclusion in women’s athletics.
"Current scientific and medical research shows that sports performance differences exist between biological sexes and such differences begin to occur during the onset of puberty," the USGA explained in their announcement.
The new policies will affect all the major women’s golf competitions in North America and Europe, including the Epson Tour and Ladies European Tour.
