A former PGA Tour pro golfer and a biological man who is trying to break into the LPGA as a female golfer whipped up a feud on Twitter Wednesday over the transgender player’s failure to win a recent tournament.
John Peterson, who retired as a PGA Tour golfer in 2018, blasted transgender golfer Hailey Davidson (born James Scott Davidson), who is attempting to become the first transgender player to earn a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour card.
Davidson, 29, played two rounds and zoomed ahead of most of his natural-born female opponents, shooting a 70 on Thursday and a 76 on Friday, according to Fox News. Davidson finished 2-under par but was still one stroke behind the leader, a 15-year-old girl named Bella Downey.
The trans golfer will go on to Stage II in October and is in the running to win an LPGA Tour pro card. And Davidson is already the first trans golfer to win a pro tournament and only the second to win the first stage of the LPGA Qualifying School.
But with Davidson missing a chance to take first place last Friday, ex-pro John Peterson pounced with a wisecrack that Davidson lost to the 15-year-old winner.
Davidson struck back, saying, “Thank god you aren’t good enough to play anymore. Stick to whatever your doing now rather than talk about things you clearly know nothing about.”
Peterson replied, “I know you’re a man playing against women and you still can’t win. I’d beat you 10&8 and then arm wrestle your cheating face off.” He also asked what Davidson’s real name is, asking if it is “Chris? Sam? Nick?”
There’s a reason women aren’t trying to play the pga tour.
What is your real name?
Chris? Sam? Nick?
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) March 22, 2023
You can google what I’ve done.
I have two (real) daughters. This is the only thing in the world that sincerely pisses me off. Them possibly having to grow up playing against cheaters like yourself that were never good enough, confident enough or tough enough to beat men.
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) March 23, 2023
Peterson ended his onslaught against Davidson by posting a photo of his family and writing, “I hope you have the joy that I feel daily, Scott. And that it doesn’t come from trying to beat girls as a man.”
I hope you have the joy that I feel daily, Scott.
And that it doesn’t come from trying to beat girls as a man. pic.twitter.com/lMYOIo9eL0
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) March 23, 2023
The LPGA removed its “female at birth” rule in 2010 but still requires hormone treatments and also requires a potential player to have undergone gender reassignment surgery.
Davidson claims to have begun hormone treatments in 2015 and says he concluded sex reassignment surgery in 2021. The last golf tournament he competed in as a male was the 2015 US Open qualifying in Jupiter, Florida.
Peterson had a somewhat short career, playing in 93 tournaments and achieving two top-ten finishes. He also tied for fourth at the 2012 US Open and played the Masters in 2013, ranking in 60th place.
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