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| LPGA rescinds English-only policy By Mark Foyer [ markf@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 2:01 PM PDT Speaking English will not be a requirement for women wishing to play professional golf. So says the Ladies Professional Golf Association, which last week rescinded the penalty portion of a policy that would have required all its players to speak English by the 2009 season or face suspension. “The LPGA has received valuable feedback from a variety of constituents regarding the recently announced penalties attached to our effective communications policy,” said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens in a written 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. 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.” In August, the organization announced it planned to require its players to learn English or face suspension. There are more than 100 international players on the tour, including dozens of Koreans. The announcement of the policy was met with instant and widespread scorn. The call for a new policy was led locally by a state senator whose district includes the Half Moon Bay Golf Links, where the tour is scheduled to stop in October. State Sen. Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat, was one of the first politicians to speak out against the policy. Yee communications director Adam J. Keigwin said in a release Friday more than 50 organizations opposed the policy. Concern was not limited to the ticket-buying public. State Farm Insurance, a major tour sponsor, indicated it would try to convince the tour to rethink the policy. And Korean television rights are among the largest contributors to the tour’s bottom line. “No other major professional sport requires its athletes to speak English,” said Anne Im, director of community programs and advocacy for the Asian Americans for Community Involvement. “The policy, we believe, was discriminatory.” The LPGA said the intent of the policy was to help its players to better communicate with its fans and sponsors. “We appreciate the LPGA’s resolve to increase its fans and sponsorships,” Im said. “But forcing players to learn English is wrong.” Yee was quick to praise the LPGA decision to rescind the policy. “While these types of incidents unfortunately still seep into our society, it is refreshing to see the overwhelming number of people who will fight for equality, fairness, and justice,” Yee said in a written statement. |