Top golfers call on LPGA Tour to change gender eligibility policy amid leadership shakeup

The LPGA Tour experienced a change in leadership this week when Mollie Marcoux Samaan announced she will step down as commissioner next month, with Liz Moore taking over for the time being.

Marcoux Samaan served as tourism commissioner from May 2021 and presented record prize money to the organization, but faced criticism for the tour not seeing an increase in popularity during the rise of women's sports. Moore has been a legal and technical officer.

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The LPGA Tour almost had a major controversy on its hands when it came to the inclusion of women's sports. Hailey Davidson, a transgender female golfer, participated in Q School in hopes of earning an LPGA Tour card. Davidson had been removed from the NXXT Tour due to its policy of barring transgender athletes from competing in their gender identity.

Two female professional golfers and one retired pro are hoping the LPGA Tour will take action and enact a policy to prevent transgender athletes from competing against natural women on the tour.

“My hope is that the next commissioner of the LPGA has the guts and courage to do what is best for not only its current members but also the future of women's golf by insisting on fairness by keeping women's golf fair!” golfer Lauren Miller, who is also an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum, said Wednesday in a press release.

Pro golfer Hannah Arnold hoped the organization would get more player-focused leadership.

TRANS COMPETITIVE GOLFER HAILEY DAVIDSON 'PRAYS' FOR CHANGES AT LPGA TOUR

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson is eyeing a shot at the pre-qualifying LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)

“We need leadership that puts the player first and the journey second,” said Arnold, who is also an IWF ambassador, in a press release. “Usually it's a women's golf tour for a reason. It's our responsibility to make the leadership accountable to the players. I hope this tour will go well with a player starting to look forward.”

Amy Olson, the recently retired IWF ambassador to the LPGA, applauded Marcoux Samaan for raising the tour's pay, but the next leader needed to confirm what the “L” in LPGA stood for.

“Mollie has been a strong advocate for a pay raise for LPGA players. One of the most important issues the next leader will need to clarify is what the L' in LPGA stands for,” added Olson.

Each golfer was among those who signed a letter to the LPGA Tour demanding that the organization acknowledge the advantage of men when it comes to golf between the two women.

The letter also requested that the LPGA Tour “establish and enforce the right of women golfers to participate in women's golf based on gender eligibility and be limited to members of the female sex only.”

The LPGA Tour has a gender policy. Allows transgender golfers to participate as long as sex reassignment surgery is performed after puberty and hormone therapy requirements.

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan speaks to the gallery after the final round of the LPGA Ford Championship golf tournament on Sunday, March 31, 2024 in Gilbert, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

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Golfweek reported that it received a memo from Marcoux Samaan in August, saying that the LPGA Tour and Epson Tour will complete a review of their gender policy by the end of the year, when changes, if any, will be implemented before the start of the next season. .

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

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