The LPGA willl require all players to speak English starting in 2009. Players that have been LPGA members for two years will face a suspension if they cannot pass an oral evaluation of English skills. For all new players, the rule will be effective immediately. The LPGA Tour held a mandatory meeting last Wednesday with South Koreans to inform them of the new policy.

Currently, there are 121 international players from 26 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea. Alot of the Korean players feel as though they are being targeted but Galloway said the LPGA is a “global tour and is not targeting any specific player or country.”

Tournament Director, Kate Peters of the LPGA State Farm Classic says, “This is an American Tour, it is important for sponsors to be able to interact with players and have a positive experience.”

I know that if i were to go to France, i would study enough of their language to be able to communicate, or Italy or Peru. Not saying you need to be like a pro english teacher or Italian teacher but know enough. I think it shows you have respect for others languages and want to communicate. Not only that but it gives you another language to speak!

My final thought on this topic…break out the books and get learning!

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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Ji-Yai Shin was on the first fairway and on her way to winning the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

Although Sorenstam rolled in a 10-foot birdie for her final putt in a major to end with a 4-under 68, she was nowhere near finishing with a victory. The 37-year-old Swede, who will quit tournament golf at the end of the year to get married, start a family and focus on her business and other golf interests, tied for 24th at 6-under 282. Hours after Sorenstam walked up the 18th at the Ricoh Women’s British Open to a standing ovation and closed her final major with a birdie, Ji-Yai Shin won the last major of the year by three strokes after a final round 6-under 66 on Sunday.

Shin, a 20-year-old South Korean whose 21 previous victories were all in her homeland or Japan, maintained Asia’s recent domination of the majors on the LPGA Tour. In capturing her first major with an 18-under score of 270, she led an Asian sweep of the top five places. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, winner of the LPGA Championship earlier this year, was second with a 66 and a 15-under total of 273, while Korea’s Eun Hee Ji (67) and Japanese third-round leader Yuri Fudoh (71) tied for third on 14 under. Japan’s Ai Miyazato (70) was fifth at 13-under 275, and 13 of the top 20 were from Asia.

Lorena Ochoa was left behind, too. The Mexican threatened the lead early in her final round but wound up tied for seventh with an 11-under 277 after a 69. She also acknowledges the Asian threat.

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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The Ricoh Women’s British Open is under way…I was hoping that Annika would be the star of the show since she is planning on retiring at the end of this season. It looks like at this moment, Juli Inkster is the star. Juli is 48 years old, has not won a major title since the 2002 Women’s U.S. Open and is one shot ahead of the field. If Juli wins this, she will be the oldest winner of a major and the second player to complete a career Super Slam. Also if Inkster wins, that would mean that she would have gone a women’s record 24 years between her first major-the 1984 Kraft Nabisco and her last. Lots of luck to her!

As for the rest of the feild,Prammanasudh twice was tied with Inkster at 7 under but each time she drew even she followed with bogeys at Nos. 15 and 17. At one stage, Sorenstam was 3 over after bogeys at three of the first six holes. She finally birdied the ninth, picked up more shots after the turn, but is still seven strokes behind the leader. Ochoa birdied the first two holes and was 5 under after 15. But two bogeys toward the end of her round left her at 69.
Inbee Park, the Women’s U.S. Open champion, shot a 74. She dropped a shot at the opening hole and had double bogeys at Nos. 5 and 6 to reach the turn at 4-over 40.

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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