Local pols angered at Golf league's english-speaking requirements

The LPGA, a.k.a the Ladies Professional Golf Association, for those like me who don't pay attention to the sport, recently caused some controversy by demanding that its players, who include many native Koreans, speak English.

In their defense, the move is apparently not motivated by zealotry, but by good-old fashioned greed. From ESPN magazine:

LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens has spoken of her desire to "brand" like NASCAR.

"If these players don't take this step [and learn English]," she told Golf World, "their ability to earn a living is reduced. They will be cut out of corporate and endorsement opportunities."

To which, ESPN sensibly responds:

But what if Korean athletes don't strive to be branded in America? What if they only want to play and win? What if they don't feel comfortable back-slapping with sponsors and gabbing for the cameras?

Anyway, what this has to do with the San Gabriel Valley is that a local couple (literally) of politicans have been railing against the rules.

Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, has been at it for a week or so already.

Now, his wife, Board of Equalization member Dr. Judy Chu, is chiming in. A press release from her office:

"Archaic and discriminatory rules such as this one serve only to put players at a disadvantage based solely on their ethnicity and/or nationality, and are in complete contravention of the ultimate goal of sports - to unite people through the universal appeal of sportsmanship and competition, regardless of race, color, gender, language or religion."