The LPGA Forced to Rethink Controversial "English-Only" Policy

Sarah — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:46:34 -0500

The Ladies Professional Golf Association recently announced a new policy. The new rule stated that players had to pass an English language efficiency exam or face suspension.

Understandably the players, fans, sponsors and the blogosphere freaked out.

The Asian American Justice Center has a slight problem with this
requirement, though, and are organizing a boycott to try and overturn
this new ruling:

There are currently 45 South Koreans on the tour and many see this
new requirement — which is ostensibly designed to “satisfy sponsors” —
as an act of discrimination against this sizable minority in the LPGA.

- Guanabee

Of course some people agree, but most saw the policy as offensive and probably directed at the large segment of South Korean payers on the tour.

Women’s golf has been stuck in an unwelcome PR whirlwind for weeks
in the wake of their new proposed regulations that would require
professional women golfers to speak English by 2009. Not all the time,
just when players are giving speeches and talking to the press and
impressing donors.

Most news reports agree that the South Korean players were the prime
target of this rule change, even though players from 26 nations are on
the tour this year. Rumor has it that the issue boiled over when
Eun-Hee Ji could not deliver her victory speech in English after
winning a major tournament.

- Elizabeth Toledo

Or even worse:

Lawyers can debate whether the LPGA's edict is unconstitutional. But I
know this much: It's un-American. It represents a potential assault on
the idea of merit, and an insult, not just to golfers, but to all
athletes.

- Mark Kriegel, Fox Sports

I don't want to defend this policy decision, but I think that I would be remiss not to mention the fact that most of the LPGA's money comes from Pro-Ams. (A Pro-Am is a tournament that pairs up amateurs and professionals on a team. The amateur pays a premium to play with the stars.) Unlike the PGA, the LPGA's male counterpart, the ladies tour is not rich. In fact, they are far from it. The LPGA really needs the money from these weekly pro-ams to stay afloat. I guess I can understand why they would want their player to able to communicate with the people funding the organization, but the policy still came off as harsh and xenophobic.

Not that surprisingly this morning Carolyn F. Bivens, Commissioner of the LPGA, announced that they were going to have to rethink their new policy. From the LPGA website:

The LPGA has received valuable
feedback from a variety of constituents regarding the recently
announced penalties attached to our effective communications policy. We
have decided to rescind those penalty provisions.

After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other
ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the
business opportunities for every Tour player. In that spirit, we will
continue communicating with our diverse Tour players to develop a
better alternative. The LPGA will announce a revised approach, absent
playing penalties, by the end of 2008.

I read that as: We got a lot of hate mail and in order to restore out reputation we're going to take a mulligan. Well, that and maybe some our corporate sponsors.

Well, not maybe. State Farm specifically had a thing or two to say about it and I suspect they may have been a large source of that "valuable feedback".

I guess good for the LPGA for recognizing the mistake. I hope they find a way to work something out that is less offensive, or more inclusive. Can't they just provide free English tutors? Maybe they could score some interns and offer college credit and a summer on the LPGA tour.

I am not going to sit here and say that women's professional sports
organizations have it easy. I know that golf patrons are still much
more likely to attend a PGA event than a LPGA event the same way there
isn't much of an NBA/WNBA crossover audience as much as I wish there
were. It just seems like there must be a better solution. Hopefully the LPGA will come up with something and that no permanent damage has been done to one of the more successful endeavors in women's sports.

Contributing Editor Sarah also blogs at Sarah and the Goon Squad and Draft Day Suit.

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The LPGA Forced to Rethink Controversial "English-Only" Policy