LPGA to require English proficiency

[Harry Longshanks]

I have just spent the last three weeks in the United states on holiday and would take issue with English being the language spoken , certainly I had trouble being understood on a daily basis and I am English.

We yanks don't speak English, we speak Amerikun dammit!

U. S. A. ! U. S. A. ! U. S. A. !

I was wondering though when Spanish becomes more widely spoken than American English will all pro golfers have to speak Spanish?

As long as it's not French, we're good.

[Smallville]

As long as it's not French, we're good.

How true that is . . .

[ClairefromClare]

Two countries divided by a single tongue, and all that...

[mstuk]

I have to agree wholehearted with a no french position

[pjsnyc]

I'm a big LPGA fan but think this is wrong, wrong, wrong. I can only hope the meda spun this the wrong way. Why would the LPGA even set this up as punitive? If they were going to do it at all, why not do it as a big perk/incentive: we're going to work with you to help you communicate and manage better in the U.S. That's the way to do it. Now they have a mess on their hands, and they're welcome to it.

Now thats an even better idea than se ri pak's suggestion of fining those that don't...incentives baby! The job gets done just as well when there are incentives!!

[Ed1]

All they need to learn is how to say "FORE" in english proficiently . That's it. Because as soon as this non english-proficient athletes started to be proficient, they would start learning to talk smack (American style) now our native-speakers (american ladies) on the LPGA tour that clearly has inferior skills than the Ochoa's and Kim's , Yung or whatevah.... are now going to be pushed further down the sidelines. Common' I think this is a bad Idea. I mean, Gulbis atleast can say she is better at something against Ochoa. Plus it is pretty much easy to understand what those non-speakers are saying all the time anyway after their victories. "I practice hard thats why I beat all wannabes, they try but they are failures." thats not to hard to understand. LOL

[steve8820]

A good decision. Yes controversial, but needed as a survival tactic for the LPGA.

It is about the $$$$ and nothing else. Purely a business decision. The Koreans are dominating the LPGA Tour and that dominance continues to grow. The fact is, if you cannot communicate effectively then you are not marketable. At the end of the day MONEY is going to grow the LPGA not TALENT. Money comes from sponsorship, so sponsors have a lot of power.

Not entirely fair, but the last time I checked the world is not fair!!!!

[NM Golf]

Alienating your top 20% players isn't gonna revive the LPGA, it's just gonna make them leave and go to the Euro tour, and we'll be left with average golf players which will lead to lower turn outs and rating's. I see the begining of the end for the LPGA with this nonsense.

If you really think that losing all the Korean players and replacing them with Americans that have personalities, even though they are not as talented, would be a bad thing for the LPGA then you

are totally confused. The ratings would skyrocket. Just look at the difference in the ratings between when an American is leading a tournament and when its a korean. Not even neccessarily an American, Ochoa is also well liked. I am not entirely sure thats not what the LPGA is trying to do. The Koreans are killing the LPGA viewership. The main audience for the LPGA does not want to watch a bunch of korean robots who never smile, show emotion, or speak at all for that matter, play golf and win tournaments. Its bloody boring to watch. Its not good entertainment. So all you civil rights activists, ACLU members and the like out there need to realize that its has nothing to do with us nasty Americans forcing these poor people to learn our language. (Another whole arguement in itself) It has to do with an entertainment company, the LPGA, wanting to put out a product that appeals to their base audience. And if those koreans do not like it have them go and play on another tour. No one is forcing them to be here. In fact its almost ironic, they have come here because the LPGA is a better tour than the Asian tour and they are single handedly killing it.

[pjsnyc]

...So all you civil rights activists, ACLU members and the like out there need to realize that its has nothing to do with us nasty Americans forcing these poor people to learn our language. (Another whole arguement in itself) It has to do with an entertainment company, the LPGA, wanting to put out a product that appeals to their base audience. And if those koreans do not like it have them go and play on another tour. No one is forcing them to be here.

I wonder what Korean people in Korea think about this recent ruling. I'm assuming the LPGA gets broadcasted over there as well since many on tour are, you know, Korean.

I understand the point about trying to connect with its base audience, but perhaps the LPGA should consider the fact that it is going more and more global by the day and that it might be a good thing in the long run to not force them to learn the language? What's really ironic is that in Korea families pay top dollar (err Won) to send their kids to school to learn English. Heck, educated business men pay good money (and typically a meal included for free) just to have dinner with English speaking people so that they can brush up on their conversational skills. I wonder why so many Korean golfers were not as inclined to do as well since it appears their main goal is to get to the American tours.

[ClairefromClare]

Well, this made the front page of The New York Times , which was a surprise--I'd have expected it buried in the back of the sports section, where you usually have to go hunting for the LPGA. I'd post a link but I"m autosubcribed there, so it wouldn't do anyone else any good.

A couple of interesting points in the Times. They stated no other league has a similar requirement, including baseball. Went on to talk about the need to make sponsors happy on Pro-Ams and got into whether English proficiency is a really a job requirement here. Also pointed out that many states have stricter civil rights laws than Title VII, so that individual tournament sites can be affected differently.

That last could be a serious case of the law of unintended consequences. If the LPGA suddenly finds itself without venues in say, New York (Corning Classic and HSBC Matchplay come to mind), they'll really be scrambling.

[GoingfortheGreen]

From what I recall, some of the largest TV sponsorship money for the LPGA is from S. Korea. This old article from ESPN gives some perspective...Bivens thought that language was an issue back in 2006! Apparently, not much had changed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=2387184

My 2 cents (as an immigrant), learn the language...it's the best way to assimilate.

[pjsnyc]

From what I recall, some of the largest TV sponsorship money for the LPGA is from S. Korea. This old article from ESPN gives some perspective...Bivens thought that language was an issue back in 2006! Apparently, not much had changed.

I think this quote from the article explains a lot:

The LPGA has given Korean golfers a computer program for learning English, but a source within the organization says not a single Korean tour member has completed it, in part because American computer keyboards have English letters. There is also the feeling among the Koreans that any extra time should be spent practicing.

They practice their hearts out while the Americans try to get home to catch the finale of American Idol. But it seems most on this thread are more concerned with other not as important things.

[CreamerFan]

Count me as one of those who thinks it a bad idea. I'm watching for the golf (yeah, ok maybe a bit more) not the interviewing proficiency. No different than MLB and Latin American players or hockey and European players. My take on the LPGA is they need to start bending over backwards to _accomodate_ the Asian Ladies, not the other way around. Dominance is not far away. Supremacy may not be much farther behind. All it takes is some entreprenurial startup league overseas and the best walk away from the LPGA and turn it into the equivalent of the Nationwide Tour. Than maybe the few best "American" players will need to play the majority of their season overseas to make a living. Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis et al might then want to start brushing up on their language skills.

I have to agree, golf is a global game now whether it's the PGA or LPGA tour.

The last thing I want to see is the LPGA alienate foreign players and turn the tour into a second rate league. No offense to the LET, but the best players in the world play on the LPGA and I'd like to keep it that way. On the other hand I can see Bivens dilemma, money drives any professional league and if the money dries up than nobody wins and those foreign players probably leave the tour anyway.

[julie_m]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned this...

If someone offered to pay me millions to play golf, but I had to learn at least some of their language...I'd get myself a tutor or some software and learn it, fast.

Are athletes getting too spoiled?

There are plenty of businesses that ask you to speak their language to work there. I'm not eligible for a lot of work here in Texas, since I'm not bilingual - is that discrimination? Could I go to another country and demand a job there, even though I don't speak a lick? Just some thoughts.

[erniebanks]

ring ring
"Thank you for calling the LPGA, Press 1 for English , press 2 for Spanish, press 3 for Korean, press 4 for French, press 5 for German, press 6 for Polish, press 7 for Chinese, press 8 for Italian, press 9 for more options."

[MtGolfer]

Hey, you must be a Cub fan from roughly my era. "Let's Play Two" Ernie was one of my childhood idols, and still is a far better example of an athlete and a gentleman than most pros in just about any sport today.

Sorry for getting off topic, folks.

[bigoak]

1. Are you going to pay $2000 to play in the ProAm and during the entire round not be able to do anything more than smile and nod?

2. Do you want to send your daughters to the LPGA clinic and never be able to understand the Korean spoken by the presenter?

3. You can play and never interact with the public or be interviewed by the media and watch your attendance figures.

4. You play the game because someone pays so you can. You don't get to do what ever you want without some accountability to the deep pockets.

5. There is more to professional sport than just hitting a ball.

[ganjagolfer]

english was spoken by the most ruthless imperialists the world has known. i imagine in a kinder and more compassionate world, it will be forbidden to speak english out of respect to all those who have suffered so from those speaking this language.

i recommend to the korean golfers that they go on a hunger strike until this fascist decree is revoked by the lpga