In separate announcements that came in tandem, the USGA and LPGA both sent out releases Wednesday updating their respective gender identity policies. Here is how they both read …
From the USGA:
The United States Golf Association (USGA) has introduced a new Competitive Fairness Gender Policy, set to take effect for the 2025 championship season. The policy, which ensures the USGA’s longstanding commitment to welcoming all gender identities and gender expressions while maintaining equity in competition, reflects several changes related to transgender athletes.
The new policy ensures competitive opportunities are provided for athletes playing in USGA women’s competitions without allowing an unfair advantage for athletes who have received the sports performance benefits of male puberty, meaning athletes must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female prior to going through male puberty in order to compete. 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.
“We remain committed to providing opportunities for everyone to compete for a national title or team but have made changes to our eligibility criteria that reflects current scientific data and strives to maintain competitive integrity,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “Our updated policy reflects a thoughtful and thorough process during which the USGA consulted with leading medical professionals from around the world.”
More details regarding the specifics of the policy, which also includes requirements for transgender males, can be found here.
The USGA will continue to monitor data and research as it is made available regarding transgender athletes. The policy is not intended to apply to recreational, non-elite competitions or participatory events, teams or leagues, where different considerations may be taken into account when establishing such criteria.
From the LPGA:
The LPGA has updated its Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility, effective starting with the 2025 season. The policy—informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law—was developed with input from a broad array of stakeholders and prioritizes the competitive integrity of women’s professional tournaments and elite amateur competitions. This working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.
Accordingly, under the new policy, athletes who are assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and in all other elite LPGA competitions. Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events. The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community. For more details, please refer to the full policy at lpga.com/gender-policy
Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels. Individual competitions are generally categorized as “women’s events,” which have specific eligibility requirements, or “open events,” where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete.
“Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”