Aug 25

Written by:
8/25/2008 

Following the weekend's LPGA Safeway Classic in Portland, reports have come out that the tour will require all players to learn English.  After two years on tour, those who fail to show a grasp of the language will have their memberships suspended.

According to the report, a written explanation of the policy has yet to be given to the players.

Unlike the PGA Tour, which typically sees only a handful of non-english speakers on a weekly basis, the LPGA's events feature a number of great foreign players (mainly from South Korea).  The numbers continue to grow, meaning more and more players are unable to communicate and relate to the tour's fan base.

Many people are calling the LPGA out on this new policy.  But, like many of the South Korean players, I agree with the tour and call it a good move.  If they want to draw more fans, they need to give them more than just the Gulbis', Pressel's and Creamer's.  They need to market the foreign players who seem to be in the mix week-in and week-out.

For now, players have until the end of 2009 to work on their English before the first round of proficiency tests.  Let's see how that goes before we condemn the LPGA for making a move to increase its popularity.