By Jonathan Sanfilippo
Staff Reporter
South Korean players on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour already face plenty of challenges competing in the toughest tournaments in the world.
But they'll soon have to overcome an obstacle away from the golf course as well.
Golfweek magazine said on its Web site that LPGA members will soon be required to speak effective English. The tour announced at a mandatory South Korean player meeting on Aug. 20 that beginning in 2009 all golfers with at least two years of experience in the LPGA must pass an oral English evaluation. Any player who fails the test will have their membership suspended.
``Hopefully, what we're talking about is something that will not happen,'' Libba Galloway, the tour's deputy commissioner, said of possible suspensions on Golfweek's Web site. ``If it does, we wouldn't just say, 'Come back next year.' What we would do is work with them on where they fell short, provide them the resources they need, the tutoring . . . and when we feel like they need to be evaluated again, we would evaluate.''
The LPGA's current members who have spent two or more years on the tour must reach the English requirements in 2009, while players who join the LPGA through Q-school this winter will have two years before they need to pass the language test.
Hilary Lunke, the president of the Player Executive Committee, said on Golfweek's Web site that the new English requirements stem from the tour's need to entertain pro-am partners. At pro-am events, professional golfers are paired with amateurs.
``The bottom line is, we don't have a job if we don't entertain,'' Lunke said on the Web site. ``In my mind, that's as big a part of the job as shooting under par.''
While the LPGA is based in the United States, it features 121 international players from 26 countries. South Korea has the tour's largest international contingent with 45 players.
Many Korean LPGA members, including World Golf Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri, said they support the English requirements.
``We agree we should speak some English,'' Pak said on Golfweek's Web site. ``We play so good overall. When you win, you should give your speech in English.''
Lee Seon-hwa, a Korean player who has won twice on the tour this year, said on the Web site that achieving the English requirements would not be difficult. Lee, who works with an English tutor, also said learning the language could improve sponsorship.
``The economy is bad, and we are losing sponsors,'' she said. ``Everybody understands.''