In a move that surprises no one, the LPGA has decided to rescind its current attitude of making sure that its golfers passed the equivalent of the TOEFL before being allowed to show up on tour next year- or face stiff penalties... like not being able to win all their tournaments...LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens ((pictured, thanks Getty Images/David Cannon)) is revising the idea and will have another version public by the end of the current year. This time, penalties will not be included.
On some level, you can understand where the LPGA is coming from... as a private institution, they need to promote their product. If the best golfers in their system are getting the lion's share of the paychecks and tape time, and they can't speak English fluently, the tour doesn't feel like they can promote effectively and efficiently.
But to pull the equivalent of a language lockout, has pole-vaulted any idea of fixing the problem.
The Commish sayeth... ahem... quote...
"After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every Tour player. In that spirit, we will continue communicating with our diverse Tour players to develop a better alternative. The LPGA will announce a revised approach, absent playing penalties, by the end of 2008."
The rest of Bivens' statement is hyah
The idea was revealed a few weeks ago with all the warmth of Ice Station Zebra. Major tour sponsor State Farm was even taken aback by the whole thing...
Amazing how this was announced just before a presser in Los Angeles where the Asian Pacific American Legal Center was set to go off on the tour...
Golf.com's coverage is right hyah
Doug Ferguson's work is at yahoo.com sports is hyah
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