Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson sues USGA and LPGA over ban

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has filed a lawsuit against the USGA and LPGA, accusing the governing bodies of gender identity discrimination after years of attempting to compete in women’s events.

The complaint, filed in New Jersey, also names Hackensack Golf Club, LPGA interim commissioner Liz Moore, former LPGA professional Heather Daly-Donofrio, and club professional Gregory Beringer as defendants. 

Davidson alleges the organisations collectively enforced policies that ultimately barred her from competing.

At the centre of the lawsuit is the USGA and LPGA’s updated “Competitive Fairness Gender Policy,” introduced in 2024. 

The policy requires athletes competing in women’s events to have been assigned female at birth or to have transitioned before male puberty. 

It also mandates strict testosterone limits.

According to the filing, Hackensack Golf Club told Davidson it had “no autonomy” in applying the rules and was bound to enforce the governing bodies’ policies.

Davidson’s legal team argues the policies — and how they were applied — effectively excluded her after a decade-long effort to meet eligibility requirements. 

She began her gender transition in 2015 and first contacted the LPGA in 2016 about competing professionally.

“That inquiry began what would be a 10-year fight,” the complaint states.

The lawsuit claims Davidson was repeatedly asked to provide extensive and sensitive medical documentation, including authorising access to her full medical history by unnamed consultants. 

Her attorney, Susie Cirilli, alleges the organisations “preyed on her love of the game” to obtain information that was then used to deny her opportunities.

Davidson underwent gender-affirming surgery in 2021 and later competed in several US Women’s Open qualifiers, recording finishes including third place in 2024 — a result that earned her an alternate spot in the championship field.

However, the suit alleges that in late 2025 she was informed she would no longer be eligible under the revised policy. 

When attempting to enter qualifying again, she was reportedly told she could not compete in women’s events.

The complaint further claims violations of New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, as well as emotional distress and conspiracy to prevent her from playing as a transgender woman.

Neither the USGA, LPGA, nor Hackensack Golf Club responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

The case is likely to intensify ongoing debate around transgender participation in elite sport, particularly in golf, where governing bodies have tightened eligibility rules in recent years.