NXXT Golf, a women’s professional golf organization, took the occasion of International Women’s Day to protect female golfers from unfair competition by banning transgender “women” from its ranks.
“Effective immediately, competitors must be a biological female at birth to participate,” NXXT announced Friday. “This decision underscores the organization’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of women’s professional golf and ensuring fair competition.”
In other words, no amount of “transitioning” from male to faux-female, no matter how early such a process begins, will be sufficient to get an individual into the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour.
That is especially important because NXXT has a partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) by which leading golfers on the NXXT tour can earn exemptions to participate in the LPGA’s developmental tour.
“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,” said NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon. “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.”
Such was not always the case. Initially, NXXT followed the LPGA’s lead in allowing transgender golfers. The LPGA instituted this policy in 2010 after a lawsuit from golfer Lana Lawless, a former husband and gang-unit cop who claimed to have “always let the gay guys go” because “they had enough drama in their lives.”
However, in January, transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, a 30-year-old Scotsman and the first transgender golfer to win a professional tournament, won the NXXT Women’s Classic at Florida’s Mission Inn Resort and Club. That triumph put Davidson at the top of the NXXT leaderboard, 150 points ahead of the woman in second place.
Despite the backlash from Davidson’s victory — which, after all, came at the expense of an actual woman — NXXT at first stood by its policy of allowing him to compete, issuing a statement saying:
The NXXT Women’s Pro Tour’s policies, especially concerning gender, have been formulated in alignment with those of the LPGA and USGA [United States Golf Association]. This approach is crucial in maintaining the integrity of our partnership with the LPGA and ensuring a fair and consistent competitive environment. When Hailey Davidson joined the tour, she complied with these policies by providing necessary documentation, including validation from the LPGA and USGA, which also facilitated her participation in the 2022 Q-School.
But the organization also announced that it had “initiated a poll among our tour players to gather their opinions on our gender policy” because “it is vital to consider the perspectives of those directly affected by these policies.”
Judging from NXXT’s swift decision to restrict competitors to biological females, female golfers do not much care for competing against males. And why should they? Men, on average, have distinct physical advantages over women. According to golf expert Jorge Arteta, “The average driving distance for all male golfers is about 216 yards, while the average driving distance for female golfers is about 148 yards.” Among the pros, the men of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) average 300 yards, while “very few players on the LPGA hit any 300-yard drives,” notes Golf News Net. Golf analytics site Graff Golf calculates that the average driver swing speed on the PGA Tour is 114 miles per hour, 20 miles per hour faster than that on the LPGA Tour.
Even Davidson has admitted that female athletes stand little chance against males. He contends, however, that his nine years of hormone-replacement therapy and his “gender reassignment surgery” have weakened him to the point that he is not a threat to female golfers.
“Going back even four years ago or even before I had surgery, I definitely had an advantage,” Davidson told Good Morning Britain in January. “But the difference is now that years have gone on, three years after surgery, my physical capabilities now compared to back then are night and day.”
His success on the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour calls that assertion into question. After Davidson’s win in January, the New York Post reported: “Out of the five tournaments held in the league since November, Davidson has placed in the top-2, twice, along with a 7 and 9 place finish.”
In announcing NXXT’s policy change, McKinnon said, “NXXT Golf is honored 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.”
The new rule, which NXXT stated was “the result of comprehensive research, thoughtful deliberation, and extensive consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the sports community,” met with the approval of those interested in actual equity, not the kind promoted by the “diversity, equity, and inclusion” crowd.
“A strategic and great move on International Women’s Day. No more of this guy competing (and dominating) the NXXT tours. More of this,” former college swimming champion and activist Riley Gaines posted on X.
Marshi Smith, another former college swim champ and cofounder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), tweeted, “Sports leadership take note … this is how it’s done.”
“We know what a woman is,” declared the Independent Women’s Forum. “And NXXT Golf does too.”
