What Was the LPGA Thinking?

Bill, great piece; however I'd urge you to consider the LPGA's history:

Since its inception in 1971, the LPGA has only had 6 Black female professional golfers on tour and none in the last 20 years; and has instituted zero efforts to change this dynamic. Similar to its brother assoc. the PGA which until 1968 required its by-laws that all golfers be "Caucasian males", the LPGA has been a bastion of anglo-centric, diversity-only-if- forced mindsets. (Which usually means anyone/anything not black.)

Now that the LPGA has had to embrace players from all over the world,out of survival and economic opportunities (and nothing more) it's holding onto its last bit of insular cultural roots by imposing english on all players.

How an org who does business on an a particular language regardless of where/customers, is beyond me. (But then, golf's color barrier was pretty strange, too.)

but in truth it's just—and excuse the pun—par for the course.

The LPGA's latest action is stunning and difficult to comprehend. More international players participate in the LPGA than ever before, and I'm certain this has increased the audience of viewers who watch the LPGA. Isn't that important to the LPGA? Increase viewers/followers, which can then justify increased sponsorships and support? I find it all baffling, and quite frankly, discriminatory. So does this mean that when the players go to Japan or India, they should all be required to speak those languages?

Wow, I had no idea that LPGA is requiring an English Proficiency exam to be administered and passed by its players. It seems like they want to step back and go backwards as the world moves into a more globalized society. Not only does this seem like a step back, but it seems like a blatant discriminatory practice to keep great players from other countries that do not have English as their primary language. What can we do to encourage the LPGA to reverse its ruling regarding this English profeciency requirement? Thank you for informing us!

-Kelly E, California

I cannot imagine to have the same happened to me when I first came to the US for math competitionss. As a first generation immigrant to the US, I can only find my self confidence through Math competitions, because math is a universal language.
I eventually learn how to communicate in English later on. However, without math, I don't know how I would release my stress back then.
If math competitions committee decided to have a policy that only English speaker can participate, I don't know if I can be the person that I am now.

Advice for the Korean women golfers:
LEARN ENGLISH AND YOU WILL MAKE MORE MONEY. Put in an equal amount of time practicing English as you put on the putting green.
Advice for the LPGA:
bring in Charlie Sifford as a consultant. He is alive and well. Was recently up in Westchester for a speaking event.

English is the international language of finance and success. The LPGA is not only within their rights to make this decision, it is completely understandable for a whole host of logistical reasons.

It surprises me that the author has taken offense to this. One would expect him to encourage Asian (and other) golfers to embrace the language of commerce for all of the advantages it provides.

Golfers are not compelled to join the LPGA. They are welcome to join, or if non exists, form a local association of golfers who speak their language (or create an international association with multiple languages.)

When an athlete deems it advantageous to them financially and professionally to be part of a private association, they must follow whatever rules that association wishes to impose.

It is understandable for a multitude of reasons that the LPGA would want their members to speak a common language (the language of their host country and majority of their fans and supporters.) Again, it is to the athlete's advantage to speak this language, as well. The previous poster is correct, they will make significantly more revenue by speaking English. Isolating oneself incommunicado only hurts themselves.

Hassan
Boston

Let's not ascribe racist motives to what is an obvious attempt by the LPGA to make themselves more appealing and some of their top players more marketable.

The current world number one female golfer is not a native English speaker. Lorena Ochoa's appeal transcends her huge Spanish-speaking following in no small part because she speaks excellent English.

Ochoa's long-time predecessor in the top spot, Annika Sorenstam, also acquired Engish as a second language. Even in retirement Annika is starring in Lexus spots among others. Tom Messner hits it on the head. English = Money. And that is what the LPGA is expected to help deliver for ALL its members.

Encouraging multilinguilism is a good thing. My family speaks Spanish, English and Italian fluently and they are better human beings for it. Knowing different languages opens the mind to the way in which other people think. Language is what programs us, defining cultural paradigms that are everlasting. It is a shame however that Americans are so insular and refuse to learn foreign languages as a way to understanding the world better and choose to attempt to impose English on the world as the language that is required to get ahead. With our economy in shambles it seems ironic that those that promote this point of view continue to do so. I wonder what the Chinese think of this position?

How would you feel if you paid thousands of dollars to participate in the pro-am portion of a tournament as a sponsor, supporting the LPGA and you were paired with a professional that could only smile and nod all day long because she didn't understand or speak english.

The LPGA is trying to grow their sport, gain interest from more sponsors and, ultimately, get more TV exposure which will increase the purses for the tournaments and HELp all those on tour. Those of you that see this move as racist or taking a step backwards are not looking at the big picture and the state of the LPGA.

I'd THINK that anyone that had enough cashola to travel the world playing golf, as well as understand enough English to get through the application process in the first place would be able to afford an interpreter wherever they go.
If knowing English was somehow a large part of what's involved in the sport (like, I don't know, it was a DEBATING organization, perhaps..) then I'd understand. What's the rules with other international sporting organizations? How's it work even for something like the World Poker Tournaments?
This decision is doing nothing but perpetuating the same racist image that most professional golfing organizations have had for decades already.

This from LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens:

"All we are asking is that in the three designated situations that are very important to the success of the LPGA and its players – pro-ams, winner acceptance speeches and media interviews – the players must be able to communicate basic sentiments in English."

This makes perfect sense, to the benefit of fans, TV viewers, sponsors, and to the marketing of sponsor products. The LPGA has programs to help pros with basic English proficiency, and they do not require mastery to join the LPGA. The LPGA commissioner states:

"New members do not need to immediately possess the English-language skills in order to earn their way onto the LPGA; nor are they expected to gain the skills on their own. Instead, the LPGA provides and will continue to provide on-line learning along with tutors and translators over the course of two years in an effort to help them gain the functional communication ability needed to succeed on a U.S.-based tour."

Your commentary does not mention the above facts. It misleads one to believe this is some anti-competitive process that is discriminatory and unlawful. This requires a correction on your part. Ad Age should stick to the facts and refer to statements and detailed policy explanations from the LPGA, rather than attempt to "drum up" some sort of controversy that simply doesn't exist.

The fact remains, the LPGA conducts a U.S. tour, not a tour on other continents. It is completely logical that players have the rudimentary skills in the English language called for by the L.P.G.A.

William H. Thompson
Thompson Group Marketing
Walnut Creek, CA

a golf course in vancouver, bc, canada just instigated an english proficiency requirement for their membership and used the LPGA's lame excuses as justification. unfortunately, it looks like the game of golf is afraid of its biggest opportunity, the asian market. regarding comments about the advantages of english in commercial sports...i'm sure many athletes realize this and they don't require laws to force them to learn the language. the commercial incentives are adequate.

I can certainly understand the money-related reasons outlined by Thompson and some of the more marketing-based commenters who are concerned about their English-centric payoffs. But in so many other situations including sports, arts and diplomacy, interpreters are perfectly acceptable in media situations. I wonder if English-speaking athletes are required to learn, say Chinese, or Japanese, when they're given sponsorships for products in those countries? This move is so based in the profit-motive and not in sportsmanship, talent or cross-cultural understanding that it reflects and reinforces the common worldwide image of America as a unilateral, monolithic and mono-cultural society. It's a pity. And, it's an ugly ehco of the times not so long ago, when people of color and Jews weren't allowed into "nice" country clubs to even play golf. If I were an international country sponsoring the LPGA, I'd back out. I think Bill's observations are right-on, and his suggestions solid.

Oops, I meant to say "international company" instead of "country" in my comment!

In the fallout after the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced its English proficiency standards and encountered outrage from national civil rights and community organizations, the LPGA has slightly backpedalled, and today released a memorandum clarifying this new policy. The clarification stated that, of course, players would not have to achieve the proficiency standards right away. It also stated that the LPGA was committed to helping its members achieve success and learn English through tutoring and even Rosetta Stone. The policy memorandum also included a handy-dandy example of a success story:

"An LPGA Tour member was paired with a senior-level executive of a global corporation. Neither had English as their first language. They were not from the same country. However, English was their common language, their common bond. They were able to effectively communicate in English throughout the entire 18-hole round, and to this day they are in discussions for a sponsorship opportunity. This would not have been possible if they could not effectively communicate in English. The player was equipped to harness this potential earnings opportunity. This is what the LPGA wants for its members. To be as prepared as possible to succeed both on and off the course."

LPGA wants to promote an image of its organization as a benevolent bridge-maker, assisting with building the networking and entrepreneurial skills needed in order to become a successful female golfer in today's global market.

If I was one of the golfers, I would retort: "Thanks, but no thanks."

The LPGA Web site provides some interesting glimpses into the tour and its members, as well as the cash they are bringing in – as of August 25, 2008 Inbee Park (No. 5) was earning $1.09 million and her colleague, Seon Hwa Lee (No. 6) was earning $1.09 million. I do not think this counts sponsorships. And these are monies earned before the LPGA came out with its new policy. It looks like the international players are doing very well by themselves.

It is fine for a membership organization to provide helpful services for its members and to promote development and opportunities, but to have a full-out policy which pushes English-speaking behavior in a society where language has been a proxy for discrimination for the past few decades is disingenuous and false.

When I think of all of the membership organizations that I have joined in the past, I cannot think of any case where pushing our members to speak English would have 1) promoted the goals of our membership; and 2) promoted inclusivity. As an attorney and a member of several bar associations, which can be likened to any other membership-based organization, I paid my dues in order to have access to the wealth of resources that the organization had. For example, if the American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) (which I am a part of) offered Rosetta Stone and Spanish Rosetta Stone for free I would be ecstatic because I want to learn Spanish and serve Spanish-speaking clients.

But if AILA enacted a new policy saying that I would have more economic opportunities if I spoke Spanish and I would have to take Spanish proficiency tests in order to stay a member of AILA, I would definitely feel excluded from this organization.

The LPGA should find ways to make sure its resources and connections are actively available to its members, but ensure that it is promoting an environment of inclusivity by not spoon-feeding or forcing its members to avail themselves of these resources. Policies such as the LPGA's are no more than a guise for more problematic attitudes when the leadership of a membership organization adopts a patriarchal (in this case, a matriarchal) attitude of: "But we're taking care of them."

The South Korean ladies are well-travelled, have left their homes thousands of miles away to come to a country to play a sport they are passionate about. They have devoted a tremendous amount of energy, money and time to practice a sport and to achieve an extraordinary level at which they are recognized internationally. It seems that by their own individual means they have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps (in the American way, I might add), and succeeded where many have not. These are powerful and empowered and impressive ladies. The LPGA should be celebrating these individual accomplishments instead actively taking these women out in a gesture of poor gamesmanship by saying they should be speaking more English.

@john bryan: My brother-in-law is a surfer who hunts waves in any and all countries. One of the best stories he told me was on his trip to the Philippines, my native land, where he paired up with a local boy for an afternoon of surfing. They couldn't hold a conversation, but they would talk and laugh and pant with excitement at the rush the waves brought out. They showed their heart for the sport and I think they understood each other fine.

So, apart from the awkward LPGA response to what they saw as an issue, what if we were to back up to the issue?

It seems that they are worried about being able to connect to its audience, a basic marketing problem.

Here's a representative of the market you're dealing with: "LPGA Hall of Famer Carol Mann won 38 titles while on the LPGA notes, 'I have friends who will turn the TV off or find other things to watch if Koreans are in the lead. A couple of weeks ago, there were seven or eight of them. . . . Carolyn Bivens has to protect the business of the future and the television package she's trying to design. So I think it is terrific."

That audience is real. It's now. It has tv's and money. You can't tell LPGA to ignore it, and I don't really think perfect English from non-native speakers would fix the issue.

This is a typical response in the world of sport, reflecting our awkward ability to handle the diversity we talk so much about in this country. I run 10k's to marathons and find many races in the US that stipulate no prize money for Kenyans. Hmm, wonder why.

But there's a way around race tension on this and that is where Multicultural Marketing should offer itself as a bona fide discipline.

What if we were to advise them that, yes, it would satisfy the short term market (current channel switchers) but actually advance the threat they're trying to avert (losing audience in an increasingly diverse pool.) If you're not going to ban Koreans from the tour (as road racing has done with Kenyans), why not start with the marketing problem of finding a route to connect audiences with that performance. It IS a difficult thing, but marketers dig taking credit for stuff like that.

What if you were to find a connection between young hispanic females and winning Korean golfers - using English and Spanish? Growth is what would happen.

Unfortunately, there is a failing on both sides. There is the seemingly non-strategic response of the tour to a fundamental shift in its content. Secondly, on the wide average, it seems as if we Americans have resigned ourselves to a lack of imagination, especially when it comes to dealing with the entrenched populations that would resist diversity. Excessive catering to them comes at the cost of audience development and future cash flows. There's some win-win money being left on the table long before going English only or shirking real competition once they start beating you.

Historically and traditionally Golf and its many manifestations has been a socialized barrier with class and racial distinctions (originally Blacks and Jews). With this decision the LPGA is essentially posting "non-whites need apply", using english as a subtext.
No one is fooled. The Hispanic community will watch with great interest the Sponsors of the LPGA and direct their business accordingly.

The last I heard English was an international language? Gosh has that changed too? OK that given, why not just make all the players speak or learn the Spanish language instead, since America is heading that way anyway, let the LPGA just get a jump on the rest of America. You can still have a Multicultural country and still have English as the main language.

Mike S. Huntsville, AL

People who travel like myself, know that speaking multiple languages is a common as fresh underwear. The LPGA like many myopic US organizations that do business overseas will never demand that it's US born players speak multiple languages. English is what everyone should speak, so says the LPGA.

What will be comical is the day quality Chinese, south-east Indian, Japanese and Latin born golfers realize that they can be pros without having people with no respect for them telling them what to do.

Thank you Bill, I think LPGA try getting rid all the good player from non English Speaking Countries. We all talk about people who play golf, how much English do golf player need to know if they want to play golf. I am glad Olympic did not make the same Rule.

One more point. I agree with English is very importand and I trying my best in English. But English is not the only Language in World. People should be open mind about other Language.

As is rarely the case, I'm joining the party late - very late. But better late than never. I read each and every response and my perspective is unique because 1) I am Korean-American. 2) I play golf (since the age of 8) 3) I speak perfect English. Not to pick a fight - but Tom of NY, I have to ask you to impart some deeper wisdom because I SPEAK ENGLISH AND I DON'T MAKE MORE MONEY. Forgive my ignorance.

To be fair, I'll side one way to encourage non-English speaking players to learn English. Tom from NY in all his infinite wisdom gives fundamentally not-bad advice. It doesn't hurt to learn English. It is one less piece of criticism they can throw at you in the face of your talents and accomplishments. The parents of non-English speaking players should include media training, image consulting and all that PR "stuff" in your daily regiment. Instead of 5 hours a day at the driving range, perhaps just 4 and 1 hour of "how to speak to the media"...if only on Mondays.

Look, there is no arguing the facts - the LPGA is a business. Its just as much a sport and competition as it is entertainment. The question here is what justifies the health and vitality of these competing interests? No matter how you look at it - EXCLUSION is never a justified action, it just isn't. And this response is not just to the commissioner of the LPGA, but to all those who have BENEFITED from the many (like Bill Imada) who stirred the pot, raised awareness and spoke up about the wrongs that need to be made right. Remember what "GOLF" has historically been referred to as - Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden...I don't know how to pronounce NESPF (Non-English Speaking Players Forbidden) despite English being my first language. Sorry, it just doesn't flow off the tongue "NESPF"..."GOLF"...

Hey Bill, what are you doing Saturday? Want to go play a round of NESPF? Nope...just doesn't work. And neither does this policy.