Golfer who competed against trans Hailey Davidson 'praying' for LPGA gender rule changes
A female golfer who competed against trans player Hailey Davidson is "praying" for the LPGA to change its rule on gender identity in competition.
After Hailey Davidson once again attempted to get an LPGA card, a golfer who competed against Davidson wants rule changes.
Olivia Schmidt was highlighted at the Independent Women's Forum in a recent video this week. The video was titled "Tee Time: Keep Women's Golf Female."
"I think that when you have a big organization that only protects one person compared to 400 others, that says a lot about who they are and how they handle themselves," Schmidt said in the video. "They’re protecting the few among the many."
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The LPGA currently allows transgender athletes who have undergone hormone therapy to compete against biological women. That rule allows Davidson to participate in events in which Davidson tries to gain professional status on the women's tour.
Schmidt wants those rules nixed.
"The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA," she said. "They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us."
Smidt added, "I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers."
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Close to 300 players opposed Davidson's inclusion in the LPGA qualifying; Davidson failed to make it past the second stage, finishing in 95th out of 190 golfers.
Davidson has been open about transition and defended being able to qualify to turn pro.
"Every year I have played at Q School, the players have gotten longer and longer to where I was being outdriven by 40 yards consistently in the final round yesterday by one player," Davidson wrote in an Instagram post in August. "Honestly I love seeing it though, especially since their [sic] is this massive lie out there that I am outdriving everyone, which is just so very far from the truth and reality."
"Clearly conservative media needs to give these amazing female athletes WAY more credit rather than belittle them and their capabilities all in an attempt to attack transgender athletes."
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