The Ladies Professional Golf Association has implemented a new policy that requires all its touring pros to speak English within two years of joining the tour.
Is this racist? Especially when there are 121 foreign players on the tour, including 45 from South Korea?
I don’t think so. Of course this topic will have its supporters, who will say that if they live, play and get paid in America then they should respect this country and speak the most common language. Opponents of the policy could come right back and say English isn’t the official language of America, and isn’t this a melt-ing pot of a country to begin with?
Both sides are right and yes, the LPGA does have the right to do this.
Now, here’s why I think it’s smart. Sports at the touring level are a business. To support that business, the athletes and the LPGA itself have sponsors. If these sponsors can’t communicate with the athlete(s) they’re giving sometimes millions of dollars to, why should they keep emptying their pockets into those of athletes.
Then there’s the media coverage. The LPGA is like the WNBA, it’s on the bottom of the media food chain. They NEED the exposure. And sure they get it abroad, in all these athletes’ home countries, they need it in America most of all. How can an English speaking reporter interview a non-English speaking golfer? They can’t. There goes the coverage. No highlights. No interviews. No one cares.
The golfer’s home countries will still follow these women. They’re not forgetting their native language. They’re just learning how to communicate in new land. This isn’t like team sports. Some have said what about foreign baseball players or basketball players, who instead of trying their limited English skills or trying to lean the language, just shrug and walk away from questions. They should learn English, too, but they’re also saved by the majority of their teammates who do speak English. Golfers don’t have teammates.
In order to promote themselves and the sport, they should learn our language.
