A female golfer has voiced her outrage after a trans competitor stormed closer to the US Women's Open ahead of dozens of biologically female athletes.
The competitor in question, 30-year-old Hailey Davidson from Scotland, had just missed out on an automatic qualification spot for the tournament earlier in the month - but after clinching the first alternate spot, the under-fire golfer still has a chance to compete if the first- or second-place finishers were to pull out.
Davidson, who had played for multiple men's teams in college, beat 55 women in qualifying - prompting one to come forward to slam the trans athlete's participation.
The competitor, who chose to remain anonymous, told conservative US sports site OutKick that Davidson celebrated holing out from 40ft off the green by saying "'f**k yeah' with the lowest male tone I heard all day".
Davidson, who had played for multiple men's teams in college, beat 55 women in qualifying
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The golfer continued: "Everyone was in shock, and not a single person clapped."
After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2021, Davidson meets eligibility requirements under United States Golf Association (USGA) and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) rules.
The LPGA's director of public relations and executive communications, JD Sterba, said: "In consultation with relevant medical, sports science and legal experts, we're continuing to review our current [gender] policy."
But the anonymous golfer said: "I am not in agreement with the LPGA and USGA... [I am] more worried about the future of daughters everywhere.
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The UK's Lucy Frazer has called for a ban on trans women competing in men's sport
PA"Every woman on the tour is working so hard to be on the tour and play golf for [a] living. Women's sports are not a backup option for mediocre male athletes."
When asked whether it was fair that trans athletes were allowed to compete in women's golf events, the anonymous player said: "It's not fair... There's not any other way to explain it [other] than if you neuter a male dog, it’s still a male dog.
"We never call them [a] female dog... I believe if transgender golf is getting more attention, aka popular, then let's do [a] trans open for them."
The player continued: "I think golf is a sport - it should never have to be involved with politics.
"Women's golf fought so hard to be equal pay as a male, but then if transgender [players] get to be here on the tour, then we are definitely running backwards."
The outrage over Davidson's competing in the qualifiers is just the latest in a string of controversies over trans figures in sport.
Back in the UK, senior political figures have weighed into the discussion - last month, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer urged sporting chiefs to ban trans women from competing in female categories in elite sports altogether.
Frazer said officials have a duty to give biological women a "sporting chance" because athletes born male have an "indisputable edge".
