The LPGA to require players to speak English in 2009 -- is new rule discriminatory or just desperate?
Golfweek reports that the LPGA has just passed a new rule to require all players to speak English. Hilary Lunke, president of the Player Executive Committee, explained the rule as a way to ensure the pro-am events at each tournament continue to draw interest from the public. The LPGA also explains the "English proficiency" rule as a way to help increase the LGPA's marketability.
So is this rule discriminatory against the Asian players? Hmm...let's see. Out of the 24 LPGA tournaments this year, 7 were won by Asian players mostly, if not entirely, from Korea. Mexican Lorena Ochoa won 6 tournaments herself. It's not clear how hard the LPGA's "English proficiency" test will be, but it's quite possible that every one of these champions -- and probably many other foreign players -- could pass the test today. There's a huge monetary incentive for foreign players to speak English, so the LPGA's new rule seems like it is just shooting itself in the foot by drawing attention to its business problems.
One thing that is clear about the "English proficiency" rule: the LPGA is completely desperate to save its failing business and, unfortunately, it perceives a business problem with the ascendance of foreign born players dominating the LPGA. By contrast, the PGA probably could care less what language the players speak. I mean could you imagine the PGA telling Argentinian sensation Andres Romero, Camillo Villegas, or KJ Choi that they have to learn to speak better English. (Or would the USTA require Spaniard sensation Rafael Nadal to speak English!! I don't think so.)
Instead of wasting its time on an "English proficiency" rule, the LPGA should be devoting its efforts on hiring a better marketing firm and cultivating the players. The real business problem for the LPGA is not language, it's finding someone who can be a marquee player like Tiger Woods. Short of Paula "Ms. Pink" Creamer or Natalie Gulbis or Michelle Wie having spectacular years, there's probably nothing the LPGA can do to save itself. It is still remarkable to think, however, that only a month after Annika Sorenstam said her final farewell, the LPGA has unraveled this far.
8 Comments:
You know I really think they had good intentions behind the rule, I just think their delivery was all wrong. This was such a bad move I would have sworn Michelle Wie was involved in helping make it in some way.
Absolutely pathetic. Koreans start dominating, and they just try to exclude them by language-rule. How sad are Americans? Sheesh.
my theory is this...
there was a player and i forget her name at the moment, but she was penalized 2 strokes because she broke one of the rules. Then there was the arguement that she didn't understand the rule.
Because the rules of the LPGA are in english, the players who don't speak english need to learn. that way there won't be any controversy and misunderstanding of the rules and at that point everyone will be on the same page.
I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened already. I can't affford the scratch required for a Tues/Wed Pro-Am but if I could and drew a player that only knew "hello, please, thank-you, and good-bye" I'd be pretty chapped.
Here's news.... English is the Universal Language. Congratulations to the LPGA. Even the government of China new they would be best identified if their Olympians had CHINA in English on their jerseys!
This isn't about exclusion you parinoid's, it's about communication. I'll bet not one player loses their slot on the LPGA. If this is taken to court... everyone loses.
Lord knows every player on the tour can afford a few English language... it would be nice to get to know all of the LPGA players better. I'm sure there are some wonderfull stories undiscovered.
Wesley Fletcher
The LPGA is a very different sort of association from the NBA, NFL, etc - and they do depend upon sponsorships for survival. While it is of course their prerogative as a private organization to institute this sort of rule (it IS a U.S. organization - I don't think it would unreasonable for a South Korean organization organization to insist that their members speak Korean--even if this is an unlikely scenario), I do think that this is a bad move on LPGA's part.
Dr. Tantillo ('the marketing doctor') has a blog on branding (http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv) and just wrote on why this doesn't make sense from a branding perspective:
1) "This is an attempt by the LPGA to control personal brands and to, in effect, say that individual athletes are just commodities that can be shaped to fit the organization which always knows best." (futile effort)
2)"Golf is the core brand feature. How players present themselves —and this includes how well or how badly they speak— is a related feature. And in marketing you never let the related feature drive decisions about the core feature."
Full post: http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv/2008/08/28/lpga-brand-advisory.aspx
Where are the comments of the Head Guru, Ms. Bivens? Shouldn't she be standing up for the LPGA at a time like this? Where is the leadership from the top? That the LPGA states it is "surprised" by the reactions shows how out of touch they are. Yes, the LPGA has fallen that far, that fast.
As charlie blockhead noted, it is all in the delivery. With the Rosetta Stone tapes plus the Kolon cross-cultural initiative, surely they could have found other ways. The Korean players in particular do not come through U.S. college systems. They all rank differently in terms of their education and English skill level. And there are 45 of them! Forget suspensions (interesting legal fight, by the way), work with the players and hire some Asians in positions of responsibility at the LPGA who can understand these players. Any Asians on the LPGA Board of Directors or Players Executive Committee???
This is just another thing wrong in this country. Everyone wants to participate and come to America and be competitive but they refuse to learn our language. We don't expect nor do they accomodate us in other countries. As for trying to single out one particular group, I don't think that is the intention, they are just trying to keep ratings so the purses are where they need to be, after all, they are in it for the money. It is really troubling that we are loosing so many rights in this country because we are affraid of getting sued by foreigners or different ethenic groups. I'm sorry but enough is enough and if we don't start standing up for ourselves we will be the ones having to learn foreign languages just to know what is going on. The time is sooner than you think!!!
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