Nationality Opinions?

[joseywales]

So I was listening to the Open today and they were talking about some players that were born in different countries than what their parents nationalities were originally. After playing the first part of their careers in their adopted countries, they now want to switch back and claim their parent's original country as their home country. I guess they can do whatever they want but just for discussion, if it really mattered, how should nationality be determined? It seems kind of like a chicken or egg debate. I'm interested in what you guys think.

[GaijinGolfer]

Whatever you claim your nationality is, thats what it should be. I dont think it should be based upon where you were born, because people can always move somewhere else and make that their home.

[Shindig]

Whatever you claim your nationality is, thats what it should be. I dont think it should be based upon where you were born, because people can always move somewhere else and make that their home.

I'm going with that, too. I think. Within reason. I've never been to Fiji, and I have no ancestry from there. I shouldn't be able to claim to be Fijian. I've been thinking of this in terms of the Ryder Cup lately.

Anthony Kim is an American. His parents were born in South Korea; he was born in the U.S.. If he wanted to be counted as South Korean (nationality) instead, I'd understand -- although I want him on the Ryder Cup team! Ours! Oh, and sometimes he's listed as Californian and other times as Texan. Ryuji Imada has spent more than half his life living in the United States. Despite this, he was born in Japan and isn't eligible for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. I consider him an American. Kevin Na seems to jump between being counted as an American and South Korean. He's an American citizen (something Imada isn't at the moment, to the best of my knowledge). And then there's Badds, who was born in the United States but is picking up points for the International team for the Presidents Cup? Why can an American-born player pick up those but Imada can't get Ryder eligibility? I think he said he'd be in more of a hurry to gain U.S. citizenship if he could.

[GaijinGolfer]

I think that in order to represent a certain country on the tour, you should have to be able to prove that you are actually a citizen of that country.
Like I said, what if you more to some other country and make that your full-time home? You should be able to represent that country if you want, no matter if you were born there or not.
I personally dont like the idea of a player living in the United States but representing some other country. If that other country is so great that you want to represent it, I think you should go live there!

[Shindig]

I think that in order to represent a certain country on the tour, you should have to be able to prove that you are actually a citizen of that country.

I disagree on that. It's very tough to live in a foreign country and compete in the United States simply due to travel time. If it were the European Tour that travels through many countries, I might lean towards agreeing. But our tour goes through four countries, and the non-U.S. countries get visited once each.

[fusioncal]

So I was listening to the Open today and they were talking about some players that were born in different countries than what their parents nationalities were originally. After playing the first part of their careers in their adopted countries, they now want to switch back and claim their parent's original country as their home country. I guess they can do whatever they want but just for discussion, if it really mattered, how should nationality be determined? It seems kind of like a chicken or egg debate. I'm interested in what you guys think.

IMO, this is similar to Nature vs. Nurture debate.

I think that in order to represent a certain country on the tour, you should have to be able to prove that you are actually a citizen of that country.

It's like you're saying that Yao Ming should go back China. If you didn't know, a lot of tennis players, for instance Maria Sharapova lives and practices in the US. Why US? because US offers the best leagues (NBA, PGA, etc) and the accommodations including training facilities and best instructors, etc in the world. What's wrong with athletes wanting to get best? Athletes do train every day. If you're suggesting that they should live in their home country, how would they commute from their place (ie. South Africa) back and forth each day? Unless you can come up with a solution for that, I believe they should live in US for efficiency.

I disagree on that. It's very tough to live in a foreign country and compete in the United States simply due to travel time. If it were the European Tour that travels through many countries, I might lean towards agreeing. But our tour goes through four countries, and the non-U.S. countries get visited once each.

I agree with you.

[GaijinGolfer]

It's like you're saying that Yao Ming should go back China. If you didn't know, a lot of tennis players, for instance Maria Sharapova lives and practices in the US. Why US? because US offers the best leagues (NBA, PGA, etc) and the accommodations including training facilities and best instructors, etc in the world. What's wrong with athletes wanting to get best? Athletes do train every day. If you're suggesting that they should live in their home country, how would they commute from their place (ie. South Africa) back and forth each day? Unless you can come up with a solution for that, I believe they should live in US for efficiency.

Im not saying they should go back to their own country. What I am saying is that if they want to live here and enjoy all the advantages of living in the United States, I think the least we can ask of them is that they represented the United States.

If they think their home country is so great that they want to represent it, perhaps they should go live there instead of living here. If their home countries were so great, they would have never left.

[golf_junkie27]

If they think their home country is so great that they want to represent it, perhaps they should go live there instead of living here.

So you're saying that if you live in the US you should abandon your heritage and not have any national pride? So, I guess, you're going to abandon the impact of imperialism and its effects and why people moved here?

So, according to this logic, Sergio should never have Spanish pride? Justin Rose should never have English pride? Ernie Els should never have South African pride? As others have stated, athletes come here because the most profitable leagues are here. They don't necessarily come here because they are lacking. To say that someone left their home country to come here and imply it was because it was not so great speaks of ignorance and a lack of intelligence. There are numerous factors and economics, in some cases, is not one of them.

[GaijinGolfer]

So you're saying that if you live in the US you should abandon your heritage and not have any national pride? So, I guess, you're going to abandon the impact of imperialism and its effects and why people moved here?

Im not saying at all that you shouldnt be proud of your heritage. Personally, Im of German and Swiss background, but I dont consider myself to be German or Swiss. I dont even consider myself to be a German/Swiss-American. Quite simply, I am an American.

If someone wants to live here, I think they should be expected to think the same way. Be proud of where ever you come from, but also have enough respect for this country to ackknowledge the fact that when you become a citizen of this country, you become an American. In contests where you represent a country, I think you should have enough respect for this country and the freedoms that you enjoy while living here to represent that country. Personally, I think that if someone lives here, but represents another country, thats a real slap in the face of the United States.

[fusioncal]

Im not saying they should go back to their own country. What I am saying is that if they want to live here and enjoy all the advantages of living in the United States, I think the least we can ask of them is that they represented the United States.

You're not saying that they should go back to their own country, so what do you mean by "they should go live there instead of living here?" Your argument doesn't make any sense.

If understand you correctly, everyone who's in USA has to represent USA? I find it very funny. Why? Because there'll be no Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Justin Rose, Mike Weir, Angel Cabrera, and all other great foreign players in all PGA Tour tournaments simply because they have to disband their own country and represent USA. Do you honestly think they'd do that? Perhaps a South African, Trevor Immelman should've not won the Masters in the first place because every golfer who plays has to be American, you think?

[Mr Eagle]

I was born and raised in Canada of English parents.I have spent the last 40 years living in England. My wife is English my children are English ,there is only one country I would represent,

Canada,


There are lots of debate on Sportsmen claiming nationality through various means so they can represent certain countries. It should be ,IMO restricted to country of birth

[michaeljames92]

i believe your nationality is where you are born unless for example you are born on a holiday etc and you arrive back with your parents in their homeland after a very short period of time. or if you are going to claim a certain nationality then you must have citizenship

[Kevin04]

It is really a tricky one, the nationality issue. There is a football/soccer player called Phillipe Senderos who could play for 4 nations, his father is spanish, mother is serb, lived for over 10years in france and he was born in Switzerland.
It really depends on the individual and how he feels, you can't force people to be a certain nationality because they live in a certain country, they pay taxes.

Can you change your nationality in golfing terms? for example in International Soccer you cannot, once you play for a nation that's you for life. I always thought Stephen Ames had (T&T;) beside his name before, did he not?

[gbk56]

So I was listening to the Open today and they were talking about some players that were born in different countries than what their parents nationalities were originally. After playing the first part of their careers in their adopted countries, they now want to switch back and claim their parent's original country as their home country. I guess they can do whatever they want but just for discussion, if it really mattered, how should nationality be determined? It seems kind of like a chicken or egg debate. I'm interested in what you guys think.

I think that if you are a citizen of that country you should bee able to represent that country. If you are not a citizen of a country then you should not be able to represent that country.

[gbk56]

I think that in order to represent a certain country on the tour, you should have to be able to prove that you are actually a citizen of that country.

I do not think that people want to represent other countries necessarily because they think those countries are so great. I think it is because that is where they are from and where their ancestors, family and friends are from. The people simply feel as though they are more closely related to that culture than the US.

I think that it is no different than me being proud to be from Philadelphia. It is not because I think it is the greatest city in the world, but it is where I grew up and where all my good friends are from. The city helped make me who I am today whether that be good or bad (probably more of the latter). I would never say I am from Virginia where I used to live and work, or that I am an avid Redskins fan just because I lived in the DC area. I live overseas now in a foreign country now and am not living in a foreign country because it is the greatest country in the world. I just have some interest in learning a new culture. So I do not think someone representing another country should be taken as a slap in the face, but merely a personal perference as to where someone more closely associates themselves.