09 March 2024 , 13:10
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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has been banned by professional women's golf Tour NXXT Golf just two months after winning the NXXT Women's Classic in Florida.
The mini-tour announced its decision to ban Davidson on International Women's Day on Friday, in a bid to make their tournaments a 'level playing field'. NXXT CEO Stuart McKinnon said in a statement: "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.
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"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. NXXT Golf is honoured to lead in promoting and advancing women's golf, providing a platform that not only highlights the exceptional talent of women golfers worldwide but also ensures the competition remains equitable for all of our players."
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Davidson faced widespread criticism in January when she was crowned NXXT Women's Classic champion at Mission Inn Resort & Club, as she defeated Lauren Miller in a two-hole playoff. At the time, the 30-year-old hit back at her critics via a post-victory statement on Instagram.
" It's always interesting how no one gets angry until there is any form of success," she wrote at the time. "While this win was amazing, unlike every article is saying, I am so incredibly far from the LPGA Tour with a lot of work to be done to possibility earn my way there one day.
"I will never allow hate to win, especially when based in some misinformation." After the hearing the news of her banning order on Friday, Davidson once again took to Instagram, providing a lengthy statement, describing the decision as a 'slap in the face to all female athletes'.
She wrote: "They changed their policy mid season, after me signing up already and being 2nd in the Player of the Year race. 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." Her last competitive outing came at the NXXT at the Royal St. Cloud Women's Championship last week, where she finished the event in a tie for 24th.