Caitlyn Jenner makes plea to Hailey Davidson and LPGA

Caitlyn Jenner has called on transgender golfer Hailey Davidson to withdraw from women’s golf events.

Scots-born Davidson has made international headlines since winning on the NXXT Golf Tour – a US-based professional circuit for women – last week.

Piers Morgan and Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies have been amongst those to condemn the 30-year-old’s success, a victory that has prompted NXXT Tour officials to request Davidson undergoes additional testosterone testing to “ensure compliance with the appropriate guidelines” and poll players to gather their opinions on the circuit’s gender policy.

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The tour currently follows the lead of the LPGA. Until 2010, it explicitly restricted membership to players who were “female at birth” before removing it following a challenge in court by transgender golfer Lana Lawless. The then 57-year-old successfully argued that the policy was discriminatory.

However, Jenner, who went by Bruce Jenner until 2015, insists that Davidson has an unfair advantage over their competitors and believes the LPGA should reinstate its previous rules.

In an op-ed for DailyMail.com, Jenner said: “Hailey Davidson must recognise that golf is a game of integrity and withdraw from female competition.

“Then the Ladies Professional Golf Association should follow suit, seize this chance to reverse their grave mistake and restore the spirit of one of the longest-running women’s professional sports associations in the world.”

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Jenner, who won Olympic gold in the men’s decathlon in 1976, added: “Today, far too many are afraid to speak out at all for fear of cancellation or retaliation.

“Well, I am not afraid – and my perspective, humbly, can cut through so much noise.

“When I competed in the Olympics, my competition was all I thought about. I deeply respected and, of course, devoted every fiber of my being to defeating them on a level playing field.

“But, respectfully, Davidson (who asks to be addressed with they/them pronouns) cannot claim to compete with that same esprit de corps.

“Davidson was a mediocre male golfer, who never had a real chance at making it in the PGA. But now Davidson is in the running for one of the most highly coveted spots in women’s sports.

“How is that fair to women?”

• Read Caitlyn Jenner’s opinions in full here

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor