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LPGA Speak Sparks Language Debate
For someone who came from a marketing background, LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens certainly knows how to muck up a message. Her latest gaffe is a real beauty. LPGA members are, effective immediately if not sooner, required to be proficient in English. I don’t know if she means the King’s English? New England English? Southern English? or maybe just street english which is comprehensible to those under the age of 20
For someone who came from a marketing background, LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens certainly knows how to muck up a message. Her latest gaffe is a real beauty. LPGA members are, effective immediately if not sooner, required to be proficient in English. I don’t know if she means the King’s English? New England English? Southern English? or maybe just street english which is comprehensible to those under the age of 20. No one knows, since no written explanation of the policy has been made available. I’ m certain at least one of the LPGA muckity mucks has the ability to put fingers on a keyboard and produce a written copy of the policy and the consequences of non compliance for the public record. Although maybe not, since news reports indicate that no such document was available to the Korean players after their mandatory meeting August 20th informing them of the policy.
It does the LPGA a great disservice when the public is made aware of this policy through an article such as that which appears on ESPN.com. ( a site which more and more resembles the National Enquirer in its sensationalistic writing). There is nothing on LPGA.com at this time about this new policy. Some of the quotes make me believe that actual thought was put into the policy development yet none was devoted to the release. It makes an idea which makes sense as a business decision into a racist, elitist affront to foreign players. Why would this not have been crafted by a professional advertiser or PR agency. Heck go cheap and get a politician, they know how to make most people feel good about getting mugged by the government, this would have been easy to present with soft edges and a sweet taste. No not the Commish, she’s gotta throw it out like a giant rock through a plate glass window, much screaming and a whole lot of blood.
I could rant all day about the failings of the glorious Commish, but the policy is the thing.. First, this is a good idea. Skewer me if you must, but it will go quite far in furthering the LPGA as a professional tour and a business. I’ve wanted to know more about the ladies who play golf so well but am limited by lack of information. I have to believe that most of them have actual personalities which remain hidden from public view behind the barrier of language. I know I become quite uncomfortable when I’m in a situation where I can’t really communicate with anyone so I appear shy, reserved, and quiet. Those are not the first three adjectives folks who know me would reach for when asked to describe me to others. I have to believe the same applies to foreign players in this country. These ladies must have some interesting stories to tell and inspiration to share but because of the language barrier what do we get but silence or single word answers.
If I were paying money to play an LPGA pro am event, I’d want to be able to communicate with my pro, without a translator. (Translators serve a purpose, however I never really trust them entirely, the result of listening to a 45 second conversation I can’t understand which translates into 5 words of english. Something gets lost there, the nuance perhaps) Simple language skills will relieve a lot of the uncomfortable silences that have to take place during a round. Silences which can translate into aloofness will be passed on to friends and aquaintances as a bad experience. Surely would sour me on a product if one of it’s promoters impressed in that way.
Players will not be left high and dry to learn on their own. The LPGA has said, hidden somewhere in the muddied waters of this giant fiasco, it will provide tutors and learning aides as assistance. It’s not in anyone’s interest to send players packing because they can play but not talk. Playing skills are more important than language skills yes, but the language skills are not something anyone can do without in a market where sponsor’s are getting harder to find. It makes sense to improve the tour’s marketability, language skills are a means to that end. I can’t see the tour allowing vast numbers of foreign players to be suspended over their inability to speak english, that would be publicity as bad as this amateurish release of policy.
We’ll have to see after the firestorm how this will affect both the tour and the players. I hope it means we get to meet some great golfers as people. For those of you who think it should be all about the golf, I’m sorry but that vanished when the game became international. It’s all about the benjamins. Especially now, when entertainment dollars are at a premium. A product, and professional golf is a product, needs international ambassadors who can communicate in the language of money. That would be the english language, and every player on the tour needs to be an ambassador for the game. This language policy is one way to expand the product line.
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.
In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.
PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole
Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.
Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.
Henley’s Suitcase
- Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
- Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
- Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
- Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
- Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype
LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!
Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.
Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.
Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.
Celine’s Suitcase
- Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
- Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
- Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
- Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
- Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS
DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!
Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.
Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.
Kaneko’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping Max G440
- Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
- Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
- Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7
Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro
Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.
The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.
Alvaro’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
- Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
- Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
- Wedges
- Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.
Niemann’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping 440 LST
- Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
- Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
- Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
- Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Ping PLD Anser
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX
3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X Denali Black 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T250 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48), S400 (47)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
bobsuruncle
Sep 5, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I say “let the clubs do the talking”. That is the one true measure in this game.
Do you think that Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt should have learnt conversational chinese and given their victory speaches in mandarin at the Beijing Olympics? After all, they had a good 4 years to prepare! Or should Lance Armstrong be fluent in French before he rode in the Tour de France? Or the africans in english before they run the NY or Boston marathon?
The most successful soccer league in the world is the English Premier League (EPL). Look at the top 4 teams – they are all made up of foreign coaches and players. There’s hardly an englishman amongst them. Would the EPL be as successful without the best players in the world? Notice that it’s not the best “english-speaking” players in the world.
The large money in sports is via television rights. Sponsors are attracted to the TV viewing stats. TV viewers don’t hear a single word being spoken by any of the players in 4-5 hours of telecast. Yes, it’s nice for sponsors to have some clients out for the pro-am but that’s not where the real money is.
TD
Sep 2, 2008 at 1:21 pm
OK folks….what does the LPGA stand for? Especially the A. What is the official language of the “A”. If these folks want to play on a tour in AMERICA, they should at least learn to communicate to some degree. AS for the comment about it not making any difference if they can communicate with their pro am partners……..with out pro ams and the public there would be no LPGA…it is very important.
All that said, however, the message was delivered in a most unprofessional way and I don’t blame those that were and are offended. It is unfortunate that the message was obliterated by the delivery.
Just another blunder by the new commish………..any bets how long she lasts like this?
8thehardway
Sep 2, 2008 at 3:25 am
Tempest in a teapot.
If you’re any good you have handlers to make sure nothing interesting is revealed to the press so I wouldn’t expect you’ll ‘get to know” much about foreign players. And acceptance speeches are beyond vapid, so no loss there. It would be nice however, if all players could yell out a comprehensible “FORE LEFT” should the occassion arise. Come to think of it, why stop with English? Basic math skills could come in handy for telling a pro-am partner he carded an 8 and not the six he wrote down.
They should also become familiar with our customs. It doesn’t seem fair that foreigners take our money and can’t speak out language. Would it kill them to learn the words to “God Bless America” and sing it on the first tee before being allowed to play?
Tim Schoch
Aug 30, 2008 at 3:28 pm
As I say in my article down at the bottom of the home page, I don’t understand why so many companies try to change people instead of their own system or vision or thinking.
It is a challenge like this that could lead to real innovations in broadcasting and international assimilation in a sport. Instead of pressuring themselves to rise to the challenge, the LPGA is putting the pressure on the athletes who will be expected to putt for dough and speak English for show.
Don
Aug 30, 2008 at 10:49 am
Crazy Gaijins and their rules.
How did some of the foreign players get into us universities without speaking english. Seems like the exploitation of others is fine as long as it suits them.
As for marketing, white america are not the only golfers; why not sell the spots with foreign players to corporate sponsors with an interest in that player. or how aboout a category like “low gross by and english speaking player”. That would be something the media and all stats crazy people could grab onto.
Jebb
Aug 29, 2008 at 9:43 am
Mr Schuster,
With respect you are quite wrong in your thinking about this. It isnt a good rule and can you name me one other sport in the world that requires proficiency in a foreign language?
To be honest who cares what happens in the Pro Ams before the tournament. It just isnt important and anyone can say “good shot” or give a thumbs up.
Plus your line about wanting to know more about these players is absurd. We recently had the British Open and the foreign players got along fine. They were a credit to their countries.
Not only that but can you honestly tell me we know a lot about the likes of Annika or worse still Karrie Webb. They seem to play without emotion and the interviews could never be described as revealing.
Its an overblown and overbearing idea from folks who think they are the centre of the universe.
bobsuruncle
Aug 29, 2008 at 3:17 am
I think this rule is absolute nonsense. Yes, I agree with the need to market the product (both the game and the players of the game) and that the medium of marketing is English. However, the LPGA should have “encouraged” the use of the English language and not make it a mandatory rule with the penalty of suspension. After all, an article claimed they are already providing assistance in the form of language lessons, etc.
God-given (sports) talent is not simply the exclusive purview of the Americans or the English. The fastest man on earth is Jamaican, the best female pole vaulter is Russian, …and the list goes on. What if Tiger Woods happened to be born a Korean? Does the PGA dismiss his 14 Majors, suspend him and make us fans watch (with all due respect) Bob May play Fred Funk instead? Get real.