Why is transgender golfer Hailey Davidson banned from NXXT? All you need to know

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has been banned from participating on the NXXT after the tour announced that the players were required to be biologically female at birth to compete.

Earlier in January, Davidson made history by becoming the first-ever transgender golfer to win a female field event after triumphing at the NXXT Women's Classic. However, the organization's decision has abruptly ended her career on the NXXT.

On Friday, March 8, NXXT Golf announced the immediate ban on the participation of transgender golfers. In a released statement, Tour's CEO Stuart McKinnon stated that the decision was in the direction of maintaining the 'integrity of women's professional golf to ensure 'fair competition'.

McKinnon was quoted as saying via Golfweek:

"As we navigate through the evolving landscape of sports, it is crucial to uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women’s sports.

"Our revised policy is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to celebrating and protecting the achievements and opportunities of female athletes. Protected categories are a fundamental aspect of sports at all levels, and it is essential for our Tour to uphold these categories for biological females, ensuring a level playing field."

Before The NXXT, the Arizona-based Cactus Tour had also made a similar statement last month and made a female-at-birth requirement mandatory.

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"They hanged their policy mid-season," Haily Davidson reacts after getting banned from competing on NXXT

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson shared several notes on Instagram stories following her effective removal from NXXT Golf. She revealed that she had already signed up for three events on the mini-tour and was approved to compete before they took a U-turn on Friday.

"They hanged their policy mid season, after me signing up already and being 2nd in the Player of the Year race," she wrote.

She questioned whether people did not understand that LPGA Tour professionals could hit further than her. She added:

"If your upset at me getting to play with my distance (245 yards) then you will never make it to the LPGA tour where they are that much better and longer than me. You can scream at me, threaten me, throw insults at me and even ban me BUT I will ALWAYS get back up and keep fighting till the very end Hate and bigotry will NEVER win."

You know what really bugs me is that people think I win just by showing up. This is such a slap in the face to ALL female athletes being told that any male can transition and beat them regardless of the life of hard work those women put in.

Hailey Davidson reacts to getting banned from playing on NXXT

She further wrote that it was not an attack on the individual player, but that the decision was putting down all other female athletes.