"It’s up to them to protect us" - Pro golfer Olivia Schmidt speaks up about protecting female golfers on the LPGA Tour

Pro golfer Olivia Schmidt, who has appeared on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour during her career, spoke about the recent policy changes to the tour. The change was adopted to allow trans women to play in tournaments, but Schmidt doesn't believe it's good for biological women.

Per the new policy, trans women who have done at least one year of hormone therapy as well as a gonadectomy are allowed to play LPGA tournaments and are eligible for membership.

Schmidt said via Golf Monthly:

“We need the LPGA to make a change. The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA. They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us."

She continued, claiming that the LPGA Tour is a "big organization" that is currently focused on helping one person rather than the "400 or so" others that are on Tour.

"They're protecting the few, not the many," she said.

Schmidt hopes the policy gets changed and would like to see some common ground for the next generation of golfers. She added that she hopes that her speaking out will play a part in history.

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LPGA Tour pro clarifies stance on new tour policies

Olivia Schmidt, an LPGA Tour pro, is not in favor of the new policy allowing trans women to compete in LPGA events if they meet certain requirements. She understands that this take could be considered anti-trans, but she wanted to clarify that.

The LPGA Tour has changed its policy (Image via Getty)

Schmidt said via Golf Monthly:

“In reality, we are just pro-women. This movement isn’t about excluding people, but rather including women and keeping women’s golf female.”

The golfer continued, saying that she puts in a lot of time away from her family for her position on the tour:

“A lot of time and energy goes into this, a lot of practice, a lot of time away from my family that if I just had a normal desk job, I could go and hang out with them every night or time that I could have meeting people and building a family of my own."

This is a willing sacrifice she has made in hopes that she'll one day reach her goals. The LPGA player believes that introducing the new policy only serves to hinder her pursuit.

The LPGA Tour said in response to Schmidt's comments that they are "currently conducting a thorough review of our Gender Policy." They intend to finish reviewing by the end of 2024 and have any changes ready to implement for the start of the 2025 season.