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Women golfers rejoice after LPGA bars post-puberty males from female competition: 'No more!'

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Women golfers rejoice after LPGA bars post-puberty males from female competition: 'No more!'

Multiple women’s golfers came forward to praise and celebrate the LPGA’s rule change on Wednesday that bars post-pubescent males from competing against females in pro competition. 

The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions. The new rule will go into effect for the 2025 season. 

“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization said. “The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”

Charley Hull, of England, watches her tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Annika golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Belleair, Fla.  (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)

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The International Women’s Forum (IWF) released a press release in which several women golfers spoke in favor of the ruling later on Wednesday. These golfers include Lauren Miller, Hannah Arnold, Dana Fall, and Amy Olson.

Miller said that she and female colleagues in pro golf have said “no more” to the issues of competing against biological males with the statement.

“This announcement from the LPGA and USGA gives me hope for the future of women’s golf,” Miller said. “The movement of female professional golfers was essential and has been heard — we’ve stood up and said, ‘No more’. By acknowledging the distinctions between men and women, golf leadership is uniting with us in their desire to champion women and girls by restoring a space that prioritizes fair competition. Today, women have won.”

Olson, meanwhile, insisted that the biological differences between men and women should be acknowledged in sports. 

“This is a positive step forward, recognizing that an individual’s chromosomes affect their physical development in ways that are irreversible,” Olson said. 

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SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT

Amy Olson swings club

Amy Olson of the United States hits a tee shot on the 16th hole during the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club on June 15, 2023 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Raj Mehta/Getty Images)

Fall said that Wednesday’s announcement indicates that “women do matter” in sports. 

“Today’s policy announcement is a huge win for women and girls in sports. The LPGA and USGA, the premiere bodies which dictate the rules of women’s golf, are standing up for fairness and the integrity of our sport. Today, the message sent to women is that we do matter, and they are working to return equal opportunity and protect fair sport for female athletes,” Fall said. 

Still, the announcement was not meant with unanimous praise. Liberals and trans rights activists have criticized the new rule. 

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out against the new rule, as it will likely prevent Davidson from competing in the LPGA moving forward. 

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“Can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and LPGA,” Davidson wrote in an Instagram Stories post. “All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.

“And somehow people are surprised the suicide rate for transgender people is around 50%. Situations just like this are part of the reason.”

Hailey Davidson swings

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson looks after shot at pre-qualifying stage of LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)

A female golfer who competed against Davidson, Olivia Schmidt, made a plea to the LPGA to ban trans athletes like Davidson during an appearance at the Independent Women’s Forum in November. 

“The bottom line is we can fight this all we want, but the true change comes from the LPGA. They are the only ones with the power to stop it. It’s up to them to protect us,” she said. 

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“I want my kids one day to chase their dreams and not have these distractions in their way. I’m just praying that [the policy] gets changed, and I’m praying that we can find a way to kind of find some common ground in that and hopefully for the next generation of golfers.”

Now, the LPGA has fulfilled that wish for all of its female competitors and fans. 

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Red Bull F1 faces tough decisions as Sergio Pérez finally signals his looming exit

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Red Bull F1 faces tough decisions as Sergio Pérez finally signals his looming exit

Bringing his car to a stop after a hit from Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez must have known that would likely be his final act as a Red Bull Formula One driver.

At the end of a disappointing — in his own words, “terrible” — year, Pérez didn’t even get the chance to complete a single lap in the Abu Dhabi season finale. The clout from Bottas, for which the Sauber driver was penalized, caused Pérez’s RB20 to lose power and come to a halt.

It denied Pérez the chance to sign off from F1 2024 on a positive note. But speaking after the retirement, he admitted for the first time he may not race for Red Bull in 2025.

“We’re talking to try and see what’s best going forward, and we’ll see what happens in the coming days,” Pérez said. He added he and the team would “discuss what is the situation for both parties and see if we’re able to reach an agreement.”

It became clear heading to Abu Dhabi that Pérez’s time at Red Bull was running out. The team had lost out on the constructors’ championship, ending the season third behind McLaren and Ferrari — and, with it, the associated prize money. It’s only the third time since 2000 that the drivers’ champion, Verstappen, does not drive for the constructors’ champion.

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At the end of a year of speculation about Pérez’s future, it at last seems that Red Bull decided enough was enough and that a change is required for 2025.

Until Sunday, Pérez had been defiant — that he would be at Red Bull next year, despite his underperformance this season, scoring barely one-third of Max Verstappen’s points total and failing to finish on the podium since round five in China. As he kept saying, he had signed a contract extension in June.

Pérez stuck to his guns about his 2025 contract through Thursday’s media day. After qualifying on Saturday, he still didn’t entertain a thought about Sunday being his last race with Red Bull, saying there was “nothing new to add to what I’ve been saying before.”

The change in tune from Pérez on Sunday was also present in Red Bull’s post-race press release. In it, the team quoted Pérez as saying: “We will see what happens in the coming days, I don’t know what is going to happen at the moment, I have a contract and the team and I have been talking. It’s a case of discussing what is the best for everybody moving forwards.”

Talks started in Abu Dhabi between Pérez’s camp and Red Bull about working on the agreement that Pérez referred to, essentially a deal for him to give up the race seat for next year. Given Pérez’s contribution to Red Bull’s recent success in F1, some kind of ambassadorial role is certainly on the table.

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Pérez scored 65 points since the Chinese GP in April. Verstappen scored 337 points. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

After the race, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the team wanted to sit down with Pérez and “work out what is the right and appropriate way forward.” He highlighted Pérez’s efforts at the team, particularly the two constructors’ titles and his assist for Max Verstappen at the 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi. Despite the difficulty of 2024, there remains a lot of respect for the driver at Red Bull.

“Sitting here now, he’s still our driver,” Horner said. “So it would be wrong for me to speculate on what next year may look like until he and I have sat down and discussed this year, and we reflect on it as a team.”

But Horner also said the drop to third in the championship showed why having two drivers consistently scoring was crucial, especially going into another competitive season in 2025. “Ferrari will be strong with their line-up next year,” he said. “McLaren have a strong line-up. Mercedes will have an inexperienced driver in one of their seats. And so for us, it’s very important that both of our drivers are delivering and there’s not a significant gap.”

Once Pérez’s presumed exit is agreed upon, Red Bull’s next task will be to decide who will race alongside Verstappen. Horner said the four-time champion is the “hardest teammate in the world to have.”

All the signs in Abu Dhabi pointed to RB’s Liam Lawson getting the nod and becoming a Red Bull Racing driver in 2025. The New Zealander retired late in Abu Dhabi after an earlier loose wheel cost him the chance to fight for points, and he only has 11 F1 races to his name. However, he has always been highly regarded within the Red Bull setup, particularly by adviser Helmut Marko. Red Bull also has a history of backing such inexperience, promoting Alex Albon to become Verstappen’s teammate after only 12 races in 2019. Lawson, 22, has just one retirement and six points.

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Promoting Lawson would be a blow to Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified ahead in all six races they spent as teammates this year. Tsunoda, 24, has raced for RB since 2021 and made decent progress each year, yet doubts appear to linger from Red Bull over promoting him to the senior squad.

“I think Liam, in challenging circumstances, he’s done a very good job,” Horner said post-race in Abu Dhabi. “If you analyze what he’s done in the time that he’s had and the race pace that he’s had, I think he’s done a good job.

“I think Yuki has done a good job. In the event that anything were decided with Checo, they’d be the candidates that we would look towards.”

If Red Bull named Lawson as Verstappen’s teammate for 2025, it would open up a seat alongside Tsunoda at RB that looks likely to be filled by Isack Hadjar. Hadjar, 20, finished runner-up in this year’s F2 standings and participated in two F1 practice sessions for Red Bull in 2024. He hinted in Qatar that he already knew his plans for 2025, having emerged as the leading youngster in Red Bull’s junior program waiting to move up to F1.


Sergio Perez walks to his garage after the qualifying session ahead of the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. (HAMAD I MOHAMMED/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Pérez’s struggles through 2024 have been tough to watch. He started strong, scoring four podiums in the first five races. At Suzuka, a true ‘driver’s track’ where Verstappen’s natural gifts come to the fore, he was within a tenth of taking pole. When his form started to dip, Red Bull thought the new contract would provide the backing and boost he needed. Horner admitted on Friday that it simply “didn’t work.”

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That effort to support Pérez has left the team in its current position, trying to work out agreeable terms for his exit and ending a rollercoaster four-season partnership. Horner said there was “no immediate rush” to work things out, but a swift resolution would surely suit all parties.

It would give Red Bull the chance to turn the page and put full focus on 2025 — and, presuming he gets the seat, give Lawson the most amount of time to prepare for the most formidable job in all of racing: being Verstappen’s teammate. It is a task that Pérez warned on Thursday, perhaps knowing how the wind was blowing, would be a big test for any young driver.

“Being teammates with Max at Red Bull as a young driver, I wouldn’t like to be in those shoes, if I’m honest,” Pérez said.

“People cannot underestimate the level of challenge that there is in this seat.”

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Top photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

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Colorado star Travis Hunter highlights 4 Heisman Trophy finalists for 2024 season

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Colorado star Travis Hunter highlights 4 Heisman Trophy finalists for 2024 season

The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists were announced on Monday, and two frontrunners are officially in the mix. 

Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter and Boise State’s bruising running back Ashton Jeanty are considered the two favorites to win the award, while quarterback Dillon Gabriel of Oregon and Cam Ward of Miami round out the quartet.

This has been a thrilling college football season in the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff. But while his Buffaloes won’t be playing for a national title, Hunter’s efforts alongside the potential first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders, has led to a successful Colorado season. 

Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Hunter is the heavy favorite to win the Heisman, as he’s simply doing something that no one in college football has: play on both sides of the ball. 

Hunter played full-time on offense and defense, and he finished in the top five in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and passes defended. Pro Football Focus also gave him the top coverage grade this season as well.

FOX NEWS DIGITAL SPORTS’ COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINNERS AND LOSERS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

On offense, Hunter had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns over 12 games, averaging 96.0 yards through the air per game. And on defense, he defended 11 passes while collecting four interceptions and 32 combined tackles over the same set of games.

Despite Hunter being the overwhelming favorite, it’s simply been a blast to watch Jeanty lead the Broncos all the way to a Mountain West Conference title while earning a bye in the College Football Playoff as the No. 3 seed.

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Ashton Jeanty interview

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (Brian Losness-Imagn Images)

Jeanty led college football in rushing yards (2,497), rushing touchdowns (29), total touchdowns (30) and rush attempts (344) as the Broncos’ offense truly ran through the junior, who is also projected to be a first-rounder come April. 

His argument for winning the award over Hunter is the fact that he took a Group of Five school to a CFP bye in his historic season. If he breaks Barry Sanders’ all-time rushing record (2,628), who knows how the voting should shake out. 

But there’s only a single No. 1 seed this year in the CFP, and Gabriel’s Ducks are it as his sixth collegiate season has led to more elite production. 

Dillon Gabriel looks to pass

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Gabriel had 3,558 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns over his 297 attempts through the air to help the Ducks to an undefeated regular season at 13-0. 

The Hawaii native’s best game came against No. 2 Ohio State, where he had 341 yards passing and three total touchdowns, proving Oregon was the team to beat in the Big Ten in its inaugural season in the conference. Oregon went on to beat Penn State to win the Big Ten, and now they’re looking for an undefeated season with a national title attached to it. 

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Ward, another potential first overall selection in 2025, is about as cool and collected as a quarterback can be in the pocket, which has led to numerous come-from-behind victories for the Hurricanes this season. 

Cam Ward vs Wake Forest

Miami quarterback Cam Ward (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

He’s also a fantastic college football story, starting at Incarnate Word out of high school, his only offer, and ultimately leading college football with 36 passing touchdowns and finishing second with 4,123 passing yards this year.

Miami wasn’t able to make the CFP this year, but an argument can be made that Ward was the best quarterback in the game this season, which earned him a trip to New York.

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Dodgers at MLB winter meetings: Competition for Teoscar Hernández heating up

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Dodgers at MLB winter meetings: Competition for Teoscar Hernández heating up

Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles in August.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Coming off his resurgent 2024 season in Los Angeles, outfielder Teoscar Hernández has desired to remain with the Dodgers. Last week, talks between the sides finally picked up as well.

But as of Monday afternoon, Hernández remained unsigned. And in the wake of Soto’s monster contract, he’s now perhaps the most coveted outfielder still left on the market. That means, as other Soto finalists refocus on Hernández this week, the Dodgers could face renewed competition for the two-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, potentially from fellow big-market clubs such as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

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“I’m always going to be a Teo fan,” Roberts said. “There’s not a whole lot of guys that can start 157, 158 ball games and post and then to be that productive. Then you layer on being in a big market, helping us win a championship. Those players don’t come around very often.”

“But,” Roberts added, “obviously Teo has put himself in a very good position as a free agent and had a very productive year. So he’s got some decisions to make as well. He’s going to kind of suss those out. But it would be hard for me not to see him coming back.”

If the Dodgers fail to retain Hernández, they’ll have to address the void he’ll leave behind. The team does have an everyday center fielder in Tommy Edman (who isn’t expected to split his time at shortstop as often as he did last year). Conforto should also get the lion’s share of at-bats in one of the corner outfield spots.

After that, however, the Dodgers outfield depth includes only younger names such as Andy Pages, James Outman and maybe even top prospect Dalton Rushing, as well as slumping veteran Chris Taylor. And if they miss on Hernández, both the free agent and trade markets are lacking many obvious potential impact replacements.

“He has earned this ability with a great year to go out and explore free agency,” Gomes said, after reiterating his appreciation for Hernández’s contributions last year. “We’ll continue to look for ways to improve our team and I’m sure have additional conversations there [with his camp].”

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