Transgender Golfer Hailey Davidson Wins Women's Event, Increasing Chances Of Potential LPGA Card
Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson is attempting to become the first transgender woman to earn an LPGA Tour card, and she improved her chances this week.
Participating in the NXXT Women's Pro Tour based in Florida, Davidson won the tour's Women's Classic Wednesday.
Davidson, according to a since-deleted post on X (via Reduxx), was three strokes back with four holes to go but completed the comeback after two playoff holes against Lauren Miller.
Davidson shot a final round one-over 73, while Miller shot a 76. They both finished four over par for the three-round tournament.
It was Davidson's first victory of the season, but Davidson has performed well throughout.
Dating back to November, Davidson also has two second-place finishes and has finished in the top 10 in each of the five events she's played.
The NXXT, according to its website, is giving away 10 exemptions to the Epson Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour, to its top five point leaders of the season.
Davidson's 1,320 points are the most on the NXXT.
According to the LPGA website, more than 600 Epson Tour alumnae have earned LPGA Tour membership since its start in 1999.
There are eight events left in NXTT's season, concluding with the Tour Championship at the Adena Golf & Country Club in Ocala, Florida.
Davidson, who was born in Scotland but now lives in Kissimmee, Florida, participated in the Epson Tour Qualifying School in 2022 but failed to qualify for the Epson Tour.
The LPGA Tour removed its "female at birth" requirement in 2010. Davidson began hormone therapy treatments in 2015 and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2021, Golfweek reported in May 2021. According to the outlet, Davidson last competed as a male at U.S. Open local qualifying in 2015 at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, Florida.