LPGA way out of bounds

English-only policy an abysmal shank

SORENSTAMNot a focus

While the sentiment is understandable, it's hard to give commissioner Carolyn Bivens anything but failing grades for style, substance, and presentation. When GolfWeek revealed that the LPGA Tour will adopt penalties for players who aren't proficient in English by the end of 2009 it set off a public relations nightmare for the commissioner - and for good reason. It's a ludicrous concept and it's so transparent.

The LPGA Tour for the last few years has wrestled with the dilemma of so many young South Korean women making a splash and the hint that it was bad for business. Tour officials know they could never put a limit on how many South Korean players can make the tour, so imposing an English proficiency provision is a veiled attempt to do so. Officials are not directing this toward Annika Sorenstam for speaking Swedish or Patricia Meunier-Lebouc for speaking French.

Making instructors available to players (re: South Koreans) who desire to learn English? That's fine and the LPGA Tour has had that in place for two years. Maybe the Tour needs to emphasize it, but spare me the act of suspending a player. You have to wonder if there was a sane voice at LPGA Tour headquarters to explain that this plan was off the wall. As an example many colleagues have used, can you envision the US Golf Association telling folks that Angel Cabrera was denied a chance to defend his US Open title because he refused to learn English?

Libby Galloway, the LPGA Tour's deputy commissioner explained the philosophy behind the policy: "For an athlete to be successful today in the sports entertainment world we live in, they need to be great performers on and off the course, and being able to communicate effectively with sponsors and fans is a big part of this."

Has she ever heard of something called the National Football League or Major League Baseball or the Federal International Football Association? All of them are fairly successful monopolies, but if they insisted upon great performers "on and off the course," they would be out of business.

Galloway continued: "Being a US-based Tour and with the majority of our fan base, pro-am contestants, sponsors, and participants being English speaking, we think it is important for our players to effectively communicate in English."

This shows how misguided this plan is. Consider the LPGA Tour's 2008 schedule. Of the 33 tournaments, three are in Mexico and one each in Singapore, France, England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and China. That's 10, and with every sponsorship that falls through in the United States, the situation becomes more plausible that close to half of the tournaments, if not more, will be overseas, with a heavy concentration in Asia.

Are there plans to demand the American women to learn Spanish or Korean or Chinese?

A huge chunk of the flavor that golf provides these days comes from its international aspect and the LPGA Tour is a big part of that landscape. This year alone in the women's game, a Mexican has won a tournament in Singapore, a Swede has won in Mexico, a South Korean in England, and an Aussie in Canada. There is a certain delight in seeing world-class players enter foreign countries - and that extends to Americans taking on the British Open challenge where the challenge isn't the language, but the customs - and making the adjustments, all for the sake of showing off their golf skills.

Fighting for recognition, the LPGA Tour has succeeded, because even PGA Tour players are talking about it. Given that they play all over the world, it's doubtful they understand what Bivens and company are doing and as he always does, Padraig Harrington offered a brilliant perspective.

"Who draws the line on how many words you know [in English]?" asked the Irishman, who also wondered what would happen "if you're one of those who has a learning disability and just can't pick up a second language easily?"

What a shame LPGA Tour officials didn't consult with him, because they're great points.

Certainly, it's easier to market your product to the American public and the corporate world if every player speaks English and it's understandable the LPGA Tour would want that. For as long as there's been pro golf there has been a constant battle to market the game, and the courting of sponsors and the selling of pro-ams is always made easier when players are personable, intelligent, and possess great communication skills. But cantankerous J.C. Snead spoke English and many of his pro-am partners probably wished he hadn't, yet the PGA Tour didn't go bankrupt.

South Korean-born players, such as the incomparable Se Ri Pak, have worked diligently at English and have become role models for a generation of countrywomen who've followed onto the LPGA Tour stage. Pak insists it is best for them and the tour if they learn English and having her support (and other South Korean players feel similarly) is a huge step in the right direction. But to take it to the extreme of making it mandatory or else face suspension? That's nonsense.

Heck, what's next? Suspension for players who prove testy and uncooperative, whether they speak English or not? If they do that, Cristie Kerr would need to find another line of work.

Game has lost a great booster
What always has been the charm of golf is that it's not football or baseball, sports behemoths that long ago lost any semblance of personal attachment. Golf is different; it remains beholden to its roots and the community around it, but it's not for everyone.

"It's like licorice," said Kevin Mendik. "Either you like it or you don't."

Bob Labbance was one of those who loved the game, which is why so many of us felt an attachment to him, whether we knew him well or not.

He conveyed a passion for the game that we understood and appreciated. Yes, he loved to play, but mostly, "he loved the people in the game," said Mendik.

Afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Labbance died Saturday at his home in Montpelier, Vt. He was 56 and still in possession of a brilliant mind. That is the greatest shame of all.

Earlier in the year, the last two of Labbance's 17 books on golf were released - "The Vardon Invasion," and "The Life and Work of Wayne Stiles," which he collaborated on with Mendik. Quite a pair were Mendik, a man so passionate about golf he still swings pure hickory, and Labbance, a onetime hippie. They became friends years ago when Mendik used to eat at a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, that Labbance owned.

"He served breakfast and lunch so he could have his afternoons free for golf," said Mendik.

It speaks volumes for Labbance's astute appreciation of golf that his favorite people in the game were superintendents. "He thought they were the hardest-working and the least appreciated," said Mendik.

A good man with a warm heart and a great sense of history, Labbance was pleased that he lived to see his son, Griffin, head off to college last week, and that the Montpelier community had rallied around his family.

Mendik and other members of the golf community, such as Bradley Klein of GolfWeek, understood the genuineness of Labbance and were instrumental in charitable efforts that raised money for a fund that will help Kathie Labbance and her children, Griffin and Simone.If interested in making a contribution: The Labbance Family Fund, PO Box 43, Bloomfield, Conn., 06002.

For practice, Harrington is always on the clock
Ron Graham had an excuse. It's called jet lag. But Padraig Harrington?

Well, Harrington's being up at 2:30 in the morning can only be explained one way: "His work ethic is unmatched," said Graham.

As a PGA Tour rep for Wilson - the club of choice for Harrington - Graham has a close working relationship with the Irishman and those duties brought him to Ireland the week before the British Open several years ago.

After dinner one night, Harrington, Graham, and sports psychologist Bob Rotella went to see the movie, "War of the Worlds" and when they got back to Harrington's house it was around midnight, so the day was done.

Only Graham was restless, given his travels and the time difference, so he used the wee hours of the morning to sit in Harrington's office and respond to e-mails and call his family back in the United States.

"I did two hour's worth of work. Then I heard noises. Whack. Whack. Whack. The office is next to an indoor workout room and that's next to Padraig's indoor driving range," said Graham. "So I looked into the driving range and there's Padraig hitting golf balls. It's 2:30 in the morning."

Graham went in and asked what was going on. Harrington explained to him, "I was laying in my bed, thinking about my grip and my golf swing, so I wanted to try a few things."

"We ended up staying up to 3:45, hitting shots, putting, talking about his preparation for the next week," said Graham.

The memory, said Graham, explains a lot about Harrington and why he's a three-time major championship winner.

"He's always working to get better," said Graham.

Etc.
Moving in wrong direction?
One tournament into the debut of the FedEx Cup playoffs last year and the outcry was unanimous: The distribution of points made it difficult to move up and down the standings. OK, PGA Tour officials listened and working with its players and directors, they came up with a new system for 2008. So what happens? Well, one tournament into this year's playoffs and the outcry is clear: There's too much movement. "What it proves," said Rhode Islander Patrick Sheehan, "is you can't please us." PGA Tour players paid very little attention to the details when they were announced, but now that they're able to see the ramifications, they are reacting. Apparently it was disconcerting to see that Padraig Harrington dropped from fourth to 23d, Ryuji Imada from ninth to 31st, or Boo Weekley from 14th to 36th after they missed the cut at the first playoff event, last week's Barclays tournament. Even Kenny Perry moaned he didn't think it was fair that he could win three times during the regular season and possibly miss out on the "Super Bowl," also known as the Tour Championship. He's got a point, but another point that would serve Perry well is: With a chance to win a playoff game, don't shoot 76 in Round 4 so that you plummet into a tie for 48th and drop to seventh in the FedEx Cup. Some players apparently think this "playoff" system is too severe, which makes you wonder if they've ever watched the NFL or Major League Baseball playoffs. Then again, maybe they think the Patriots should get a re-do at last year's Super Bowl.

Ups and downs on LPGA Tour
Some numbers and wonderments from an LPGA Tour landscape that will be quiet for the next two weeks:

In the last 100 tournaments she has entered, dating to 2003, Michelle McGann has missed the cut 86 times.

Natalie Gulbis's last seven tournaments in 2007 yielded a win, a second, a third, a fourth, and $717,184. In 20 tournaments in 2008 she has made just $266,237 with but one top 10. (And no Emmy for "The Natalie Gulbis Show," either.)

Brittany Lincicome missed six cuts in all of 2006 and 2007. She has missed 10 in 19 starts this year. (Probably with a different caddie each time, too.)

Helen Alfredsson needed 108 tournaments between 2002-07 to total $1,040,040 in prize money. She has earned $1,095,441 in 19 tournaments this year. (She's been consistent with the laughs, smiles, and good spirit, however.)

Celebrations for the ages
Fairway news: Michael Phelps celebrates his historic Olympic performance by taking a holiday to play golf in Portugal's Algarve region.

Clubhouse view: Members of the Chinese women's gymnastics team celebrates their success by taking a day off from preschool.

Kim was stung by first round
"You know, it was rough out there," said Anthony Kim after opening with a 70 at The Barclays. Yes, he felt Ridgewood CC was a tough test, but Kim was referring to another dilemma. He got stung by a bee and then "I had two bees in my pants three holes later. The course is hard enough, but when the bees start getting you, you're in trouble."

All in a day's work for Sadowski
First off, John Sadowski had nothing to do with the golf course setup. It was handled by the New England PGA field staff. As for working all morning and then going out to play stellar golf, Sadowski brushes that aside, too. "I do it all the time," said the superintendent at Turner Hill in Ipswich. Well, maybe he does, but on this occasion he deserves a round of applause, because after tending to his duties all morning, Sadowski slipped out of his work boots and into his soft spikes to shoot 71 and easily secure a qualifying berth into the upcoming New England Open. Sadowski was one of 13 who got through the Turner Hill site, where 68 (by Shawn Warren) was the low score. The New England Open will be held Sept. 10-12 at Lake Winnipesaukee GC in New Durham, N.H.

Faith is rewarded again
The Deutsche Bank Championship staff has four days to conduct a 72-hole tournament. Faith Weiner of the Stop & Shop Giant Family Foundation oversaw an operation Monday that included 72 holes over four golf courses in two states. The end result was another $1.2 million that brings its charitable endeavor to more than $5 million. A Founders Club partner of the Deutsche Bank Championship, Stop & Shop used TPC Boston, Wellesley CC, Black Rock CC in Hingham, and Wannamoisett CC in Rumford, R.I., to accommodate a pro-am field that featured 435 golfers. At TPC Boston, the festivities featured a healthy list of players who are in the DBC field - among them Nicholas Thompson, Pat Perez, Dudley Hart, Paul Goydos, and Lee Janzen. LPGA Tour members Kelli Kuehne, Virada Nirapathpongporn, and Candy Hanneman also took part.