LPGA's English lesson: Inept in any language

August 31, 4:29 PMGolf ExaminerDave Seanor

Next

2 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Golf Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

When better than Labor Day to engage in a labor of love – writing about golf – for Examiner.com? And how accommodating of the LPGA to provide me with such delicious fodder for my debut post. Plus, we have Ryder Cup captains’ picks to debate later this week.

Is the LPGA extraordinarily shrewd or colossally inept? All hell broke loose last week when Golfweek.com reported that the LPGA had informed a meeting of Korean players it will enforce an English proficiency policy beginning next year, with suspensions in the offing for those who don’t comply. Commentary has been overwhelmingly critical, ranging from charges of racism to mere political incorrectness.

It’s been suggested that the impending requirement was leaked as a “trial balloon” to gauge public reaction and/or to garner headlines when most of the nation is fixated on the NFL, and those who care about golf are focused on the FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup. Sorry, but that’s giving LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens & Co. way too much credit.

Rather, the ineptitude of the LPGA since Bivens took its helm never ceases to amaze. It seems her staff in Daytona Beach neither does any research nor seeks outside council.

In this case, the gaffe was twofold. The tour advised Korean players of its intentions Aug. 20 in Portland (reportedly via a presentation in English) before the policy had been formalized, leaving many questions unanswered and many players confused. Second, the proposal is an attempt to address a vexing issue with corporate sponsors at the expense of harming not only the LPGA brand, but also the image of golf at large.

No question, the LPGA has a challenge with regard to the influx of Asian players on the circuit. A segment of the public views them as automatons, one indistinguishable from the next. Sports channel surfers aren’t inclined to linger on an LPGA telecast when they see yet another Lee with a two-shot lead over yet another Park.

Ditto for corporate sponsors, the folks who bankroll LPGA tournaments. They wince when a Korean winner – and there are many – makes a victory speech in broken English or through an interpreter. And they question their return on investment when a client who’s being schmoozed at a pro-am complains that the pro can’t speak English, let alone offer swing tips or regale with insider anecdotes.

The wince turns to cringe, and the ROI merits more scrutiny, when sponsors read something like this from the editorial page of The New York Times: “This rule will redefine women’s professional golf and re-authorize discrimination in a sport that is still struggling to do away with it. . . For the LPGA to impose discriminatory rules on its own members is not only offensive, it’s self-destructive.”

Indeed, as Dr. Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida,  told Golfweek: "It's a decision that's going to be too offensive to too many people that a large corporation can't associate itself with it."

Especially when legal experts suggest that the English proficiency policy could face challenges on the grounds of national origin discrimination if Koreans are found to be targeted (and with 45 Koreans among its ranks, it’s disingenuous for the LPGA argue otherwise).

That the LPGA failed to anticipate criticism from outside the ropes underscores its myopia and lack of sophistication. In matters like these, dangling the carrot is far more effective than wielding the stick.

In 2006, the LPGA launched a program to help players learn English and assimilate into American culture. Tour officials describe the effort as successful, with only a “very few” players unable to speak at least enough English to get by at pro-ams and press conferences. Which begs the question, why introduce the draconian threat of suspension?

Remember, most Korean players are 20-somethings, with little life experience beyond the practice range. Surely it would be more effective to expand and accelerate the education efforts already in place. The LPGA should recruit Korean-American players such as the ebullient Christina Kim and the savvy Hana Kim, or the fully assimilated Grace Park and Pearl Sinn-Bonanni, to coach the Koreans on the basics of sponsorship and media relations. Do it in Korean, so nothing is lost in translation. Then players will be more likely to grasp the nuance of the tour-sponsor relationship and gain incentive to learn English on their own.

The LPGA can’t have it both ways. It can’t tout its cultural diversity and global reach, then turn around and try to Americanize its green card holders.

Blame it on Bivens’ penchant for marketing LPGA members as celebrities rather than athletes. In sports, success sells, and the top tier of the LPGA just happens to be dominated by Koreans. They all can’t be expected to be ambassadors, as well.