A legal battle is unfolding in the world of golf after a transgender woman filed a lawsuit claiming that new eligibility rules unfairly barred her from competing in a major women’s event.

Hailey Davidson, 33, has sued the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), and Hackensack Golf Club in New Jersey after she was denied entry into a 2025 U.S. Women’s Open qualifier.

At the center of the dispute is a 2024 policy change adopted by the USGA and LPGA. The updated rules state that players must either be assigned female at birth or have transitioned before puberty in order to compete in women’s events.

Davidson, who transitioned after puberty, argues that the policy effectively excludes the vast majority of transgender women from competition.

According to the lawsuit, many states restrict access to gender-affirming care for minors, making it impossible for most transgender athletes to meet the new criteria. Davidson contends that the rule change, therefore, functions as a broad exclusion rather than a narrowly tailored eligibility standard.

Before the policy shift, Davidson had competed in multiple events without issue. Her lawsuit claims that Hackensack Golf Club violated the law by deferring to the governing bodies’ decision and refusing to allow her to participate in the qualifier.

The organizations named in the suit have so far taken a measured response. An LPGA spokesperson said the group is aware of the legal action and intends to let the matter proceed through the courts.

The spokesperson also defended the policy, stating that it was developed through an expert-informed process and is designed to protect the competitive integrity of elite women’s golf.

The case now places one of the sport’s most contentious questions squarely in a courtroom: how governing bodies should balance inclusion and fairness in competition.