“How can they say that rule was not changed specifically directed at me if you have a rule that allows me to play and you come back and you change it?”

Katie Thomas of the New York Times reports that a 57-year-old gender-reassigned retired police officer and women’s world long-drive champ is ineligible after an LPGA rule change. And she's suing.

“It’s an issue of access and opportunity,” Lawless said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “I’ve been shut out because of prejudice.”

She is also suing Long Drivers of America, two of its corporate sponsors — Dick’s Sporting Goods and Re/Max — and CVS, the sponsor of the L.P.G.A. Challenge, which begins Thursday in Danville, Calif.

A lawyer for Long Drivers of America and a spokesman for the L.P.G.A. declined to comment on the 13-page lawsuit because they said they had not yet seen it. The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court in San Francisco by her lawyer, Christopher B. Dolan, seeks an unspecified amount in damages and a permanent injunction preventing the tour from holding tournaments or qualifying events in California as long as it continues to exclude transgender people.

Lawless is not the first professional female golfer to be transgender. Mianne Bagger, a Danish athlete, competed in the Women’s Australian Open in 2004 and has since toured professionally in Europe and Australia.

The LPGA needs to think big picture on this one. They are explicitly violating Lawless's rights and more importantly to the betterment of society, make it very difficult for the Golf Channel to ever give us Big Break Transgender From Indian Wells.

Comments

[J Mac]

How ironic that the Danish golfer's name is 'Bagger' given it's golf connotation. I think a name change is due too, maybe to Bagless. She doesn't carry her own bag anynore.

[Bob S]

And for the irony parade, she is suing Dick's?

[RM]

Bob S...nice!

[Wisconsin Reader]

She is eligible to try and qualify for the U.S. Open. . . We need to establish a reasonable man (or woman) test for LPGA eligibility. . . Would Tiger Woods date her? . . . No, Tiger would not. . . Hmm, how about would the Golf Channel do a feature story on her . . . Yes, but they have no standards . . . Well, would people pay money to come and see her play? . . . Yes . . . Ka-ching!

[john knee knoxville]

I wonder about this as well.

If born as a female, and you get one sew on, can she or he compete in the LPGA events ?

For if a male gets one wacked off, and can't play in LPGA, wouldn't the opposite be true ?

Just asking in a Sienfeld-ian way, in this crazy mixed up world we call home.

[Looper]

John Wayne Bobbitt for the LPGA qualifing school ???

[COB]

That dude is horrifying.

[Vwgolfer]

Is there a age limit on LPGA tour?

Let her play.

[Taylor Anderson]

There's a big difference between age and changing your sex.

The LPGA should be able to make its own rules. If there's no market for the LPGA product because the free world rejects its rules, so be it.

[dormie]

john knee knoxville, you are forgetting one thing, the chick who had one sewn on, is still a chick and would never be able to qualify for the men's tour. Whereas a man who has it knocked off has a immense physical advantage over the females he's competing against.

Anybody for breakfast at the place around the corner? "Greasy Dicks"?