According to a June 23 story in the Sports Business Journal that measured the recent growth in TV revenue for the tour, more than half of the LPGA’s international money comes from Asia. The English-only mandate might have the effect of creating resentment in a vital segment of the tour’s own fan base. By demanding that Asians speak English, it might cause Asians to wave goodbye.

And the two-year stipulation is also strange. Two years is generally enough time to learn some phrases, some grammar and to grasp bits of conversational English, but for a young player from another nation — there are 121 international golfers from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour — it’s not long enough. A professional golfer spends most of her day working on her game in some capacity. What if she genuinely tries to learn English in her spare time, but the LPGA powers-that-be fail her on the oral exam? Is it fair to prevent her from making a living with a suspension?

I’m not in favor of fines either, but at least that’s a more tolerable alternative. If a player obviously doesn’t care and hasn’t learned a modicum of English over a two-year period, then slap her with a small fine to nudge her along. Telling her that she’s suspended from the Tour isn’t exactly like saying, “We don’t like your kind around here,” but it’s definitely a distant cousin of that phrase.

I’ve covered lots of professional athletes who could speak English reasonably well but just couldn’t be bothered. I’d rather see athletes like that suspended than LPGA golfers from other countries who want to cooperate but feel more comfortable communicating through an interpreter.

In public relations, the more important thing is that the message gets through, not the manner of delivery.

Right now, the LPGA is sending a bad message.

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