LPGA says all players must learn English

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=3553888

I thought this story was interesting, especially since the Korean players interviewed seemed to support the measure. Players have to learn enough English by the end of 2009 to do simple interviews.

What would happen if MLB required all players to learn English as a requirement to keep playing?

 

MLB probably wouldn't have a case, but I think the LPGA does. They can say it's part of the players' jobs to promote the tour by doing media interviews. A baseball player's job is to play baseball. There is a lot of precedent for the league not caring if players don't talk to the media, so they would be hard-pressed to make that stick.

 

Seems absurd, but I guess it just shows how fucked the LPGA is for sponsors.

 

I'm not going to watch the LPGA more or less whether or not Si Ri Pak* does an interview herself or through a translator.

* I admittedly don't know if she speaks English or not, she's the only Asian female golfer I could think of.

 

Based on what I read it made it seem like the sponsors are getting pissed that the person who wins the event can't give a speech in English.

I also can't help but think there had to be a better way to go about this rather than make it a mandate.

 

First-place prize money: $10,000
Bonus for giving post-match interview in English: $490,000

That'll do the trick.

 

YOU ONLY COVER US WHEN WE SPEAK IN ENGLISH!

 

Agreed.

 

Chico's all for it

 

Having covered the LPGA, it's extremely frustrating to have to go to the media relations folk and ask every freaking time you go to do an interview if the leader speaks English, or if her caddie does, or if there's an interpreter on site, etc., etc.

At least half the Tour is Korean, so there's a coin-flip shot your leader will be one.

 

Give the LPGA ten years and they'll mandate that all the players be fluent in Korean