LPGA sets new standard

The LPGA Tour quietly made headlines this week by adopting a policy that forces players with at least two years of experience to pass an oral examination of their English skills or risk having their tour card indefinitely suspended.

This policy is newsworthy for several reasons:

- The LPGA Tour thus becomes the first American sports league to mandate that its players pass an examination demonstrating their verbal skills of the host country.
- The policy is considered by some as a backhanded attempt to keep the growing number of South Korean players (45 on the LPGA Tour, which represents the strongest contingent of foreign-born players) off Tour, and it could inherently be considered both discriminatory and xenophobic.
- And the policy also -- either intentionally or unintentionally -- sets the precedent that to play golf professionally in the United States, you need to be "Americanized," or at least possess the ability to communicate with other players, tour officials, sponsors and fans.

The LPGA Tour is right, and quite frankly, I'm surprised it took this long to enact a policy. This regulation is both progressive and much-needed, considering the sport's desire for a superstar whose marketability matches her talent, and considering there are 121 international players on Tour from 23 different countries.

On Tuesday, when the policy was first reported, LPGA Tour officials billed this new policy as a necessary step in a player's professional development.

Think about it: If you can't form a coherent thought in another language in two years, you're just not trying. Seriously. And that's all the Tour is asking these players to do -- make an effort, take a class (though it won't pay for it) and finally begin interacting with the players and officials you're constantly surrounded by.

The Tour isn't asking players to recite a Edith Wharton novel by heart or form a sonnet, it's merely asking them to be effective in a social setting, such as a Tuesday Pro-am. These businessmen pay upwards of $3000 a week to play and talk with tour pros, and when all the "professional" can utter is a broken sentence that lacks conviction, it sends the wrong message. And trust me, after covering the Tour for four months last year, this is an incredibly image-conscious tour.

The new policy could be considered discriminatory, though Tour officials dispelled the notion that it was aimed at the rapidly-growing South Korean population.

A full-time interpreter would have sufficed. But what message does that send? That to be a part of this tour -- and this country -- you just need to smack a golf ball around in the fewest number of strokes and neglect all the other responsibilities that come with being a professional athlete, all because you don't have the proper training? Come on.

The whole "the golf ball knows no nationality" rationale is no longer relevant in this day and age. There are more responsibilities than that -- to the tour and its oft-maligned reputation, and to the fans.

When this story first broke, some were quick to point out that no such policy exists in Major League baseball, which is dominated with international players. Good point, even though it lacks relevance. Baseball players, working in the ultimate team-game environment, don't need to fulfill the same media or public relations duties.

An example:

If you want a quote from Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar, who speaks very little English, you have three options: You can approach him yourself, knowing that the quote you're about to get may or may not be printable; you can talk to other people in the organization, his manager, other players; or you can ask for a translator.

If you want a quote from Eunjung Yi, who finished in a tie for 11th at last week's Safeway Classic, you're SOL. Trust me. I tried last year. But you've still got to approach her because you need something if she's in contention. You're just likely to leave with an empty notebook.

Foreign players can transform their speaking abilities -- but only if they work at it. Take Se Ri Pak, the most defining example. She's one of the most elegant speakers the Tour has, taking on the role as country ambassador in recent years.

It took a while before she developed the confidence to speak English in front of a group. Today's players have time, too. But if they don't demonstrate the intiative and desire to conform to the professional standards that the Tour has set here, they'll be out of a job by the end of next season.