Posted by Jason Sobel
NORTON, Mass. -- The LPGA has introduced a rule that all players must be able to pass an oral evaluation test in English or face a suspension, and the news is making the rounds on the PGA Tour, where pros are preparing for this week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"I think it's half-right, half-wrong," said
Kevin Na, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, but was raised in California. "I know it's a U.S. tour, but it's still a world tour, where all of the best players in the world can come and play and show people what they've got, golf game-wise."
The rule will most affect the 45 South Korean members of the LPGA, who range from having complete control of English to very little ability to speak the language.
"I understand both sides of the story," Na continued. "It won't hurt the tour for the girls who are foreigners to actually learn English, because it would be good for them, too. And I think the girls out there, a majority of them speak English. But now it'll bring them to speak more English. I'm sure there will be a positive and negative to it, just like anything else."
Don't expect a similar rule to be invoked on the PGA Tour. Though 78 current members were born outside the U.S. (representing 19 different countries), there are only eight players who have used translators at times, including
Angel Cabrera,
Andres Romero and
Jose Coceres of Argentina;
Shigeki Maruyama and
Daisuke Maruyama of Japan; Yong-Eun Yang and
K.J. Choi of South Korea; and
Carlos Franco of Paraguay.
"I don't know enough about it, but at the same time I understand that you have to keep the sponsors happy; that's what I've learned since I've been out here," said
Anthony Kim, a California native whose parents were born in South Korea. "That being said, you still need a high level of golf to be out on a tour. Last I heard, speaking a language wasn't part of Q-school. If that was part of Q-school and that was laid out before and everyone that came before the girls now had to deal with it, then it would be different."
Interesting take. Perhaps the LPGA could look into a grandfather -- grandmother? -- clause for its current membership, while including fluency as a prerequisite for all incoming players.
Jason Sobel covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn3.com.
