Sept. 5, 2008
English-Only Golf Rule Doesn't Make Par
Under Fire, LPGA Nixes Policy That Would Suspend Players Who Don't Speak English
-
Seon-Hwa Lee, the only Asian with multiple victories this year, said she works with an English tutor in the winter. Her ability to answer questions without the help of a translator has improved in her short time on tour. (AP Photo)
-
Photo Essay Week In Sports The week's biggest winners, losers and newsmakers.
-
Interactive The Nation We Live In Who are Americans and what do they do? A comprehensive look at our economic, sociological and racial breakdown.
LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would announce a revised plan by the end of the year, although it would not include penalties.
Bivens disclosed the tour's original plan in a meeting with South Korean players at the Safeway Classic in Portland, Ore., two weeks ago, which was reported by Golfweek magazine. The policy, which had not been completed, was widely criticized as discriminatory, particularly against Asian players, who won three majors this year.
"We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions," Bivens said in a statement. "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."
The announcement came two hours before the Asian Pacific American Legal Center planned a news conference in Los Angeles, where it was to be joined by civil rights groups and elected officials demanding the LPGA overturn its policy.
A California state senator was seeking a legal opinion to determine whether the tour's language requirement for players violated state or federal law. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, hoped for an answer before the LPGA Tour returned to California in October for the Samsung World Championship.
He had asked the Legislature's legal office to examine whether the English policy violated any state or federal anti-discrimination laws. If it was deemed legal, Yee said he would have pushed for legislation banning such policies in California.
"I'm very pleased that the LPGA saw the wisdom of the concerns that we raised. It's a no-brainer for those of us who have been the recipient of these kinds of discriminatory acts," Yee said on Friday.
He said he understood the tour's goal of increasing financial support but disagreed with its approach.
"In 2008, I didn't think an international group like the LPGA would come up with a policy like that," Yee said. "But at the end of the rainbow, the LPGA did understand the harm that they did."
The lawmaker said he will continue with his request to the Legislative Counsel's Office, as a way to prevent similar policies in the future.
Another California lawmaker, Assemblyman Ted Lieu, said he had planned to target the LPGA's corporate sponsors if the tour had persisted with the English requirement. He called its policy indefensible.
"I'm pleased they have come to their senses," he said Friday.
Lieu, a Democrat from the Los Angeles area, said the LPGA's explanation for its requirement made it appear as if the tour was telling players it was more important for them to "schmooze" with sponsors than to play golf.
"If you're a sports fan, you should be outraged," Lieu said.
One of the tour's title sponsors, State Farm, said it was "dumbfounded" by the initiative.
"We don't understand this, and we don't know why they have done it," State Farm spokesman Kip Diggs told Advertising Age on its Web site. "And we have strongly encouraged them to take another look at this."
Bivens said the tour will continue to help international players through a cultural program that has been in place for three years and offers tutors and translators.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From Sports
Add a Comment See all 22 Comments
- Tiger is very relieved-The British open could have been in Wales & it is likely hard to locate a Welch tutor these days.The US open can be played at Shinnicock-those Shinnicocks do not have a language training program at all -this may get very difficult!!
- Reply to this comment
- My mother came to America in 1947 from Belgium, and didn''t speak English. She learned it and became fluent in a short time.
English is the world''s standard language. It used to be that French was the language of diplomacy and war (I believe West Point cadets are still required to learn French), and German was the language of engineering.
Today, it''s pretty much gone over to English.
American students should be required to learn a second language from 1st grade: French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese or Cantonese.
Yesterday, I saw a magazine ad offering online biology classes in Navajo! Oh yeah, THAT will get you far in the workplace! Of all the silly ideas ...
Speak English in America. Make children learn a second language that is common and marketable, or that illegal immigrant''s son or daughter that knows English AND their heritage tongue will get the job they want. - Reply to this comment
- Airline Pilots the World over are REQUIRED TO SPEAK ENGLISH. Don''t wish to speak the language? Stay away from the USA. Comprende Amigo?
- Reply to this comment
- Posted by nfclrd at 10:14 PM : Sep 05, 2008
English is not the official language of the United States. Only a few states recognize it as official but not the United States of America as a whole. I think lawmakers are too busy trying to fix other things in America before they go to the language subject.
-----------
Please... Get Real...
If you were to move to, or visit Germany, would you demand that the people speak Latvian if that was your native language?
If you were to move to, or visit China, would you demand that the people speak American if that was your native language?
Why not have the LPGA "official language" be American? After all, the LPGA -is- an American institution.
Best Regards,
WC - Reply to this comment
- English is not the official language of the United States. Only a few states recognize it as official but not the United States of America as a whole. I think lawmakers are too busy trying to fix other things in America before they go to the language subject.
- Reply to this comment
- Yes, agreed, English only should stay...and then when playing in another country if you don''t understand chinese, thai, vietnamese, russian, portuguese, hindu, etc., then you should be disqualified too.
- Reply to this comment
- I think the rule should have been left in place. English should be the official language of the United States.
- Reply to this comment
- I think the rule made par and should have been left in place. I support English as the official language of the United States.
- Reply to this comment
- I think the rule made par and should have been left in place. I support English as the official language of the United States.
- Reply to this comment
- Well the rule sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Maybe you should ask yourselves (C_BS) just who the blazes pays the big prize money to fund these LPGA tournaments; and why on earth they pay it.
It''s their advertising budget dummy! they pay for the tour so that TV audiences and tournament attendees, will pay attention to the play and the players and incidently to the sponsors advertising.
Damned If I am going to learn Singalese to try and understand some golf player being interviewed by sports reporters.
If you (C_BS) want to pick up the prize money tab for these tournaments so you don''t need to have advertising revenues paying the tab, then oyu can have players speak any *** language you fancy; but I won''t be watching, if it isn''t in English; sorry! - Reply to this comment
- Yep, the fact that Tiger Woods plays at country clubs
where he could NEVER be a member says a lot more about
golf than the "Engrish Onry Rure"
--Nancy_Naive
Btw, I do know there are still clubs like these and even laws equally ignorant. But they only exist still b/c they haven''t been challenged legally.
Usually, this is b/c it''s either (a) a hassle, (b) expensive, (c) the law isn''t enforced b/c they know it''s not enforceable, or (d) they managed to not be noticed or raise a fuss.
I say, let these "private" protectionists push the issue. They did that with the sodomy law here in Texas which stated that gay men couldn''t have s*x EVEN IN THEIR HOME!
The Supreme Court tossed that one out -- and it forced ALL states to drop these under-the-radar illegal laws.
So go ahead, Rillifane, push the issue. Let''s draw these monsters out. - Reply to this comment
- To Rillifane:
Ah, that familiar refrain. We''re a private business. We can do whatever we want.
The notion that by being a "private" entity an organization to do whatever it wants is proof positive your logic is foggy.
After all, PRIVATE restaurants were forced to serve black patrons, PRIVATE golf clubs were forced to admit women, and PRIVATE companies can''t fire someone for not being Christian.
You can''t simply do what you want. Sorry, I know that sucks (for you) but that''s (SIGH) just the way it is.
By the way, I''d LOVE to read the Constitution but you guys (assuming your a neocon) shredded it over the last 7 years. I guess that''d explain why you guys think you can do anything, huh?
But go ahead. PLEASE. Create a "private" organization & give us a chance to break your bank too. I welcome it. - Reply to this comment
- TexasKaos.com
The notion that a private organization taking a position on English language use is "unconstitutional" is proof positive that you haven''t the foggiest notion of the legal principles found in the constitution. Spend some time educating yourself before giving the world the benefit of your ignorance. - Reply to this comment
- To yongamerica, sed81650, TheVicar2, Bob5ford, frankbowers & the rest of you English-only idiots:
Stop crapping on the LPGA for backing down. they didn''t do it b/c they "saw the light." The idiots that thought this was a good idea didn''t grow a brain or lose a spine. They did it b/c they saw the lawsuits that would''ve killed them. It was unconstitutional & simply legally impossible to support. They would''ve gone bankrupt and with their own sponsors pissed off at them, they knew they''d better drop this time bomb & run for cover.
Explain to me exactly why a golfer needs to know English or ANY language to play the game? On 2nd thought, NO, don''t explain anything. You''re "logic" is anything but logical.
Therefore, I won''t debate the absurdity of an English-only league (or nation or ...). Here''s the thing that you do need to understand: you guys aren''t going to win.
How can I say that so confidently? Because this isn''t about morality or the "librul media" or them furreners polluting yer (my!) country.
It''s b/c in a multi-cultural, multi-language world, sponsors & business can''t afford to be as myopic as you guys -- or they''ll go OUT of business.
The dinosaurs died out b/c the world changed around them and they didn''t adapt. I''d avoid any tar pits if I were you.
TexasKaos.com - Reply to this comment
- How about if they just learn the important english words like:
Go to He!!
Blow me!
Where''s the bathroom?
Who spiked my Gatoraid?
I don''t need no stinking green card to play golf!
What''s a turn signal?
Just the stuff they need to get by. - Reply to this comment
- They realized that they''d be taking away the only players worth tuning in to watch. American players are "babydoll" icons; like that tennis chick in the movies.
Merit means nothing in this country. The only ones that taut it are those who either have already or stolen it so long ago that they forgotten they have.
The LPGA should stop chasing "TIGER" like numbers and let those who''ve earn their place on tour to thrive. "First Tee" should be the tool to increase American golfers, not stupid modeling tricks and zenophobia. - Reply to this comment
- Obviously, none of the letters in LPGA stand for ''spine'' or ''backbone''.
- Reply to this comment
- Too bad they nixed it, it could have been the start of something good that might have spread throughout the U.S.
- Reply to this comment
- You play golf with clubs not mouth. I guess mute people would be in trouble to.
- Reply to this comment
- But isn''t this tour in the USA? Not Korea? They need to speak a little English if they want to collect our money from our tour?
- Reply to this comment
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
