NXXT Women’s Pro Tour seeks dismissal of lawsuit from transgender golfer
The NXXT Women’s Pro Tour has submitted a motion to dismiss legal proceedings brought by transgender golfer Hailey Davidson, who challenged the organisation’s policy preventing biological males from participating in women’s events, reports BritPanorama.
Stuart McKinnon, the tour’s chief executive, confirmed this week that lawyers from the America First Policy Institute had filed the dismissal request on behalf of the Florida-based circuit. “We are asking the courts to dismiss the claims and we’re addressing the matter,” McKinnon told Fox News Digital.
The CEO maintained that the policy change was fundamentally about safeguarding female competition. “This was about simply protecting women’s sports. So the goal was really clarity and competitive integrity, and, as a professional tour, we believe it was our responsibility to define those categories,” he stated.
Prior to implementing the restriction, McKinnon personally contacted Davidson to propose an alternative arrangement within the tour’s structure. “I had a talk with Davidson. And at that time, prior to the change, I had offered Davidson the opportunity to play in an open division,” McKinnon explained. He added that Davidson would have been offered a management position in that division and allowed to compete free of charge.
The tour was prepared to cover Davidson’s Q School fees as part of this package; however, Davidson declined the offer. McKinnon’s decision followed consultation with the tour’s competitors, which yielded a substantial response — within two or three days, over 80% supported the policy change, stating it was necessary to address perceived unfairness.
A small number of female golfers voiced support for permitting Davidson to continue competing, though McKinnon noted that they “respectfully disagreed with one another.” Davidson’s legal action contends that the tour breached contractual obligations by barring her from participation in the Winter Series, retaining membership and entry fees, and withholding Epson Tour exemptions earned through competition.
Despite the ongoing litigation, McKinnon expressed confidence that operations would proceed unimpeded. “Nothing has changed from an operational standpoint. We’re going to continue to grow,” he stated. The organisation has broadened its portfolio considerably, establishing the NXXT Battle Tour as a professional mixed-gender competition alongside the NXXT Gen Tour for elite junior players of both sexes.
NXXT has proven to be a pioneering women’s circuit by adopting stricter eligibility criteria, which the LPGA and USGA subsequently followed in December 2024. These updates restricted women’s events to competitors assigned female at birth who had not undergone male puberty.
In an arena where competitive integrity is often hotly debated, the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour’s decision underscores the complexities at play in modern sports, illustrating how organizational choices can ripple through the broader landscape.
