LPGA to require players to speak English...

[SCGolfer]

Legal questions surround LPGA's new rule requiring players to speak English | Tours & News | Golf.com


article in regards to the rules legality if anyone is interested

Jason

 

[JEFF4i]

This is just bottom line bs. Legal question?

The LPGA is a private business, for all intents and purposes. This isn't national discrimination, it is saying you speak our language and communicate with your root members, or you don't play.

 

[SCGolfer]

I tend to agree Jeff...but I think we will see this rule put to the test in court.

Jason

 

[JEFF4i]

I tend to agree Jeff...but I think we will see this rule put to the test in court.

Jason

I'm wondering if the LPGA will let it get that far.

If they do they have more balls than the PGA.

 

[Eracer]

It's interesting that the author of the article mentions that courts have upheld company mandated english fluency, but only for two reasons:

1. Safety (air traffic control)
2. Efficiency (telphone customer service)

Then goes on to flatly state that safety would be a non-issue in the LPGA. I suppose it's a fine line, but if a player can't yell "fore!" there could be a safety issue. Sure, other people (like her caddie) could yell it, but isn't it the player's responsibility?

 

[David Hillman]

It's interesting that the author of the article mentions that courts have upheld company mandated english fluency, but only for two reasons:

1. Safety (air traffic control)
2. Efficiency (telphone customer service)

Then goes on to flatly state that safety would be a non-issue in the LPGA. I suppose it's a fine line, but if a player can't yell "fore!" there could be a safety issue. Sure, other people (like her caddie) could yell it, but isn't it the player's responsibility?

Then an enormous number of companies are wide-open for huge lawsuits. Requiring "excellent written and verbal communication skills" is pretty much a standard operating procedure. How exactly is a person who cannot speak English going to accomplish their job functions at any white collar, and most blue collar, jobs in this country? And if they don't speak Spanish, either? Who will hire you, I'm honestly curious?

 

[FATC1TY]

Then an enormous number of companies are wide-open for huge lawsuits. Requiring "excellent written and verbal communication skills" is pretty much a standard operating procedure. How exactly is a person who cannot speak English going to accomplish their job functions at any white collar, and most blue collar, jobs in this country? And if they don't speak Spanish, either? Who will hire you, I'm honestly curious?

My point exactly. Don't look at the LPGA like it's something we do on the weekends. Sure, we all golf, and do tourneys and such, but golf for all/most of us.. IS NOT OUR JOB.

You don't swing a driver to make your mortgage payment. You don't chip in for birdies to pay for your new car payment.

These women golf for money. It's their job. An employer has a right to ask for certain qualifications.

Should I sue the PGA tour? I mean, isn't that discriminating because I can't shoot par that, they won't let me qualify to play?

I can't and shouldn't. Because it's in the rules and guidelines. Speaking english is now in the rules and guidelines.

The way I see it.. Move on if you don't want to follow the rules. I think the rule sucks in a way, but I can see where they are coming from, and with that, I respect their decision to do so.

 

[Eracer]

All professional golfers are independent contractors. The LPGA doesn't hire them as employees. But they do control who is allowed to play in their tournaments. I don't know what the requirements are, but I bet they include age, handicap, and in the case of open tournaments, qualifying scores. The LPGA believes it has the right to create another qualifying requirement. It has nothing to do with the legality of the employer-employee relationship.

 

[Adam Pettman]

An amazing player from asia comes along that can't speak english but draws huge attention because of her immense talent, LPGA drop the rule because they need the best talent playing on their tour. What if a woman that lost her mouth in a car accident wanted to play, then what????

 

[West Coast Duffer]

I think it boils down to the LPGA wants to see American golfers win more, so they are doing what they can to throw a roadblock in the way of certain international golfers (namely, the Koreans).
Id love to see the American ladies (especially Paula and Natalie) winning more, but I still dont think its right to turn away anyone who has the talent to play on tour just because they dont speak a certain language.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. The LPGA is being dominated by other countries and their trying to find an excuse to bring more americans into the mix. All the top players like Lorena, Annika and some Koreans. Some do speak english but definitely unfair, the LPGA has the right to do whatever they want but their hurting bigtime for sponsor and money and this is a bad time to be pulling this crap. I watch the LPGA all the time to see the best players not to hear the post round interviews, even at that the translators work fine. The LPGA would be nothing without foreign players.

 

[ezra76]

I think it boils down to the LPGA wants to see American golfers win more, so they are doing what they can to throw a roadblock in the way of certain international golfers (namely, the Koreans).

Ding, ding, ding... we have a winner! Maybe Michelle Wie should just try the Korean Ladies tour?

 

[David Hillman]

Question for anyone who thinks this new policy is illegal, or should be...

Why, then, is it legal for the LPGA to discriminate on the basis of gender?

 

[Eracer]

Question for anyone who thinks this new policy is illegal, or should be...

Why, then, is it legal for the LPGA to discriminate on the basis of gender?

Good question. Thing is, there is no law against that. Just like there's no law against that club in Georgia prohibiting women from becoming members.

This isn't Hooters we're talking about...

 

[FATC1TY]

An amazing player from asia comes along that can't speak english but draws huge attention because of her immense talent, LPGA drop the rule because they need the best talent playing on their tour. What if a woman that lost her mouth in a car accident wanted to play, then what????

Thats irrelevant.. Losing a mouth? Guess it can happen.

What if I was an amazing court recorder.. Then was in an explosion and went deaf... Should I automatically act like the court should allow me to keep my job or get me a interpreter of sign language so I could understand what was being said?

It's pointless to look at it like that. It's not discrimination, plain and simple.

They have choices.

 

[JEFF4i]

An amazing player from asia comes along that can't speak english but draws huge attention because of her immense talent, LPGA drop the rule because they need the best talent playing on their tour. What if a woman that lost her mouth in a car accident wanted to play, then what????

A touch extreme Adam. In this case I'm sure that the LPGA would allow for signing, since being mute is a disability, being Korean isn't.