Transgender Woman Hailey Davidson Eyes LPGA After Win at Mini-Tour Golf Event

Hailey Davidson is hoping her next stop is the LPGA after her mini-tour win at Providence Golf Club last week, although she is awaiting word on her eligiblity.

According to Beth Ann Nichols of Golfweek, the transgender woman underwent gender confirmation surgery in January and had been undergoing hormone treatments since 2015.

"We are currently reviewing Hailey’s application to participate in LPGA Tour events under the LPGA’s gender policy," LPGA Chief Tour Operations Officer Heather Daly-Donofrio said. "The policy is designed to be a private and confidential process between the LPGA and the athlete."

Davidson is allowed to compete in USGA championships after the organization told her she met its Gender Policy eligibility criteria. She is hoping for a similar result through a reciprocity agreement.

The USGA previously had a policy that required a player to be two years removed from surgery in order to compete, but the rule was changed this year. The LPGA had a "female at birth" requirement until removing the rule in 2010.

Davidson hadn't played a professional tournament in six years before returning to the sport in April. She finished 10th at a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier before competing in the NWGA event this weekend, winning the event after shooting two strokes under par across the two rounds.

The 28-year-old is now hoping to be the first transgender woman to compete in the LPGA.

"As cool as it would be the first person to do something, to be honest, right now could not be a better time for me to hopefully keep pushing forward and maybe break out, because there is so much anti-transgender legislation," Davidson said.

"I feel like actually having representation on any professional sports level will give kids so much more hope."