LPGA English Rule Seems to Target South Korean Players

Harry Mok
August 27, 2008

Major League Baseball wouldn't have many of its stars if it got rid of those who couldn't speak English well, so as the Newsday columnist says, I'm not sure if the LPGA's punishment fits the crime.

From the Golfweek article, it sounds like South Korean players are on board with the idea, at least outwardly, and the concept smacks of xenophobia, though the intent may be correct.

Here's another reaction from Golf.com.

What do you think about this?

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Harry Mok

Editor in chief

Editor in Chief Harry Mok wrote about growing up on a Chinese vegetable farm for the second issue of Hyphen and has been a volunteer editor since 2004. As a board member of the San Francisco and New York chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association, Harry has recruited and organized events for student members. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was also a graduate student instructor in the Asian American Studies Department.

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Comments

Comments

giles wrote on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:00pm
blatant anti-foreign bias. i dunno how anybody could see it any other way.i like the guy at golf.com's suggestion for other stuff the LPGA could do: "Force the American players to quit losing so much."
lxy wrote on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:46pm
More on this issue (and a shameless plug for the Fighting 44s website):http://www.thefighting44s.com/forum/showthread.php?p=45254
Raj wrote on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 2:51pm
I have always said that white women are more racist than white men in this country. This is but one example. But then again if you worship white skin put white people on a pedestal they will sit on you. You feed the snake, it will bite you!
Asiana wrote on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 9:50am
First of all, when was golf ever entertaining and why is the LPGA going all gustapo on making sure they remain "entertaining"? Speaking English isn't entertaining, it's boring. I feel like LPGA is suffering from the burden that all female pro sports suffer from- trying to be seem just as legitimate as any make pro sport, just like the boys. Using backdoor tactics to eliminate "the other", will never be done without scrutiny. The spokeswoman's blase retort to the English proficiency test was strange. I mean the logic of girls wearing sleeveless polo shirts, Bermuda shorts and golf shoes being entertaining aka sexy made me think for a minute. Then I was came to the conclusion that women in Burmuda shorts and sleeveless polo shirts would be entertaining IF they spoke English. Uh racist spokeswoman of the LPGA, partaking in a sport that originally was meant for the rich is your job and it will always be boring!
Harry wrote on Thu, 08/28/2008 - 10:48am
California Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi is looking at legislative action against the new rule, according to this story (from where I work).
Young wrote on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 8:07am
It is absurd what LPGA is doing with this English language stuff.I don't think it has anything to do with the language issue. Now, tell me honestly. Would bunch of Korean girls speaking a little better English at news conference and pro-am outings make any differences with the marketing problem of LPGA ?LPGA might as well just to limit admission of Korean players. At least that would be honest. There are so many of them such an excellent players that LPGA don't know how to control. It would be wise for LPGA to spend more time and efforts to promote and educate our youngsters here to become better golfers for the future.
Raj wrote on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 8:26am
When it comes to affirmative action, whites want merit. However, when they face competition from others, they want their own affirmative action and try other things such as making english compulsory. I hope Hayashi can introduce legislation that can ban this rule. However, my question is will Singapore and South Korea ban LPGA from having tournaments in their countries when this rule is in force? Will LPGA force Koreans to speak English in their own country? Are Asians going to put up with this crap and continue to worship whites? The answer to the last question is I think so. China did not aggressively react when the Spanish and Argentinians made "Chinese facee, ie. posing with their hands pulling their whites. So the whites think the Asians will put up with any crap, and that is the logic behind this rule. Bivens watched the Chinese say that racial shennanigans of the Spanish team was fine, and hence a couple of weeks later she decided the Asians will put up with any shit from whites. Now, they are targeting the Koreans. If Asian Americans dont raise hell, next they will force Michelle Wie to take an English test as she surely looks Asian..heck they may get all Hawaiians to take English test if they wanted to play golf.
Young wrote on Sun, 08/31/2008 - 9:10pm
I left out a small fact on last post. LPGA's single biggest source of their annual income is the revenue they collect from Korean TV broad casting coverage of LPGA events. I guess they like the Korean money languge, not what they do in the golf course.