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Women’s pro golf tour responds after trans athlete sues for being excluded

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Women’s pro golf tour responds after trans athlete sues for being excluded

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Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson filed a lawsuit against the women’s golf tour NXXT in December after it changed its policies to prevent biological males from competing against females. 

NXXT and its attorneys from America First Policy Institute filed its motion to dismiss this week, and believe the suit will be thrown out. 

“We are asking the courts to dismiss the claims, and we’re addressing the matter,” NXXT Golf CEO Stuart McKinnon told Fox News Digital. 

“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.”

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

McKinnon said after the organization updated its policies, he reached out to Davidson to offer the golfer a chance to compete on the tour in an open category, free of cost, and would even pay for Davidson’s Q School – an annual, multi-stage tournament where golfers compete for playing status on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. 

“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. And in that open division, I had offered Hayley Davidson to play in that open division and even a management position in that open division, and we would allow Davidson to play for free,” McKinnon said. 

“We would pay for Q School fees for Davidson. So we were very generous and respectful of what Davidson wanted to do. And my message to Davidson was simply that perhaps your legacy is forging the path for future generations. But it can’t be right now in this women’s tour right now, when I’m running it, and we are going to make the policy change.”

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McKinnon said the trans athlete rejected the offer.

Now, his tour is engaged in a legal battle against Davidson. It was an outcome he expected when he made the policy change, but believed it was necessary based on the feedback of his golfers. 

McKinnon said he came to the decision after distributing an anonymous poll to the female golfers on his tour, as the vast majority of them expressed concern over Davidson’s presence.

“We did an anonymous player poll, which we had a high response rate within a very short period of time. Within two or three days, we had 80% plus response rate, and it was clear that the players, you know, were speaking, that they felt the policy change was in order,” McKinnon said. 

“The theme was that it was unfair, and they wanted us to address our policies.” 

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McKinnon said that a few female golfers expressed support for maintaining the current policy and allowing Davidson to compete.

“We just respectfully disagreed with one another,” McKinnon said. 

McKinnon had to watch Davidson finish first place on the tour in January 2024, marking Davidson’s third first-place finish at the event. The win put Davidson in the race to earn an Epson Tour exemption, which is the developmental tour of the LPGA Tour. The top 10 players of the Epson Tour graduate to the LPGA Tour.

At the time, the LPGA’s policy allowed biological males to compete without much restriction.

NXXT was one of the first women’s tours that stepped up to make a policy change. The LPGA then changed its own policy to bring about more restrictions to protect the women’s category in December 2024. 

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Now, as Davidson wages a legal battle against NXXT for pioneering the protection of women’s golf, McKinnon doesn’t expect the lawsuit will impede his tour’s operations.

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“Nothing has changed from an operational standpoint. We’re going to continue to grow,” McKinnon said. 

“We’ve expanded the tour from the NXXT Women’s Pro Tour to the NXXT Battle Tour, which is a professional co-ed tour that we’re launching, as well our NXXT Gen Tour, which is our junior tour. It’s a competitive pathway for elite juniors, male and female. And we just actually have announced a partnership with Sir Nick Faldo for the NEXT Faldo Junior Tour. So all systems are go here at NXXT. We’re growing the pathway. We’re growing the tour.”

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson during the pre-qualifying stage of the LPGA Q-Series. (Riley Gaines/X)

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Davidson’s attorneys for a response. 

Davidson’s lawsuit argues NXXT breached its contractual obligations and made false representations to Davidson, leading to wrongful exclusion from professional golf opportunities.

“Defendants breached the Contracts by implementing the Policy Change that resulted in Ms. Davidson being prohibited from participating in the entirety of the NXXT Winter Series; failing to allow Ms. Davidson to compete in any NXXT Winter Series tournaments after the Policy Change; retaining Ms. Davidson’s annual NXXT Golf membership fees and entry fees for NXXT Winter Series tournaments; and not awarding Ms. Davidson the Epson Exemptions she had earned,” the lawsuit stated.

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever. 

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season. 

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries. 

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

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Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

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When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

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Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

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He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

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WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

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Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

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State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video. 

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

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After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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