Sunday, September 14 2008 -- September 13, 2008

Golf was branded as an elitist sport until a part-black and part-Asian in the person of Tiger Woods made it “reachable” to the middle class when he won his first tour in 1997. Just last August, however, an effort to re-elevate golf – to its former exclusionary state – from the access of golfers came to play but this time, not by reason of social status but by reason of inability to speak English.

Last month, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced that it would mete out suspension on foreigner players after two years on tour who could not pass an oral English test beginning 2009. LPGA defended its policy by stating that the penal provision would to put teeth to their cross-cultural program for lady golfers to “encourage” them to learn English in order to effectively entertain and interact with sponsors. Although there were some who agreed, there were more opposition coming from the media, legislators, golfers and fans.

In early September, as expected, the LPGA reconsidered the “effective communications policy” and has decided to remove the suspension penalty.

Among those who could have been affected by new policy are foreign players coming from non-English speaking countries, who cried out discrimination. Most of these players are Koreans who comprise more than one-third of the 120 female golfers. It was speculated by some that the reason behind the policy was to pluck these foreigners from the tour especially that Asian players won already 3 major events so far. It was also rumored that the non-English speakers were not “sellable” as they refused or if not, ineffectively “advertised” the sponsors due to communication barriers.

What made LPGA withdraw the disputed policy? Although the policy was challenged to be unconstitutional by one legislator, was branded as un-American by writer Mark Kriegel and was panned by golfers and fans alike, LPGA retracted not mainly for those reasons but because one of its corporate sponsors reconsidered its support.

It is so sad to see a sport to be geared only towards commercialism when the only capital needed to drive an athlete is pure talent. Although it is true that LPGA is an American tour, it nevertheless has players coming from 26 countries and has numerous events outside USA. There is no correlation between speaking English and playing golf or any other sport for that matter. Language is learned and something which is learned should never be imposed. It is hoped that the same exclusionary rule will never be imposed because it undermines talent and merit.