Lpga Orders Players To Speak English

Women’s golf governing body the LPGA has installed a new regulation requiring all players on the Tour to speak English from 2009.

Under the new ruling, the LPGA says all golfers who have been on the Tour for two years must pass an oral exam or face having their membership suspended.

There are 121 international players currently on the tour, including 45 from South Korea.

The move is aimed at helping women golfers become more commercially viable with major broadcasters and sponsors.

Libby Galloway from the LPGA said: ‘This should be a priority in their professional development. We just wanted to be clear about our expectations.

‘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.’