Golf | LPGA backs away from English rule

The LPGA Tour, facing anger from lawmakers and bewilderment from sponsors, backed off plans to suspend players who cannot speak English well enough to be understood at pro-ams, in interviews or in making acceptance speeches at tournaments in the U.S.

The policy has generated a storm of bad publicity since it was announced last month.

LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would have a revised plan by the end of the year that would not include suspensions, although fining non-English speakers remains an option.

"We have decided to rescind those penalty provisions," Bivens said in a statement. "After hearing the concerns, we believe there are other ways to achieve our shared objective of supporting and enhancing the business opportunities for every tour player."

She disclosed the original plan in a meeting with South Korean players two weeks ago at the Safeway Classic in Portland, Golfweek magazine reported. The policy, which hadn't been written, was widely criticized as discriminatory, particularly against Asian players.

The LPGA membership includes 121 international players from 26 countries, including 45 from South Korea. Asians won three of the four majors this year.

The reversal was quickly hailed by a California lawmaker who challenged the original policy.

State Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, had asked the Legislature's legal office to determine whether the English policy violated state or federal anti-discrimination laws.

Earlier this week, Bivens sent a 1,200-word memo to the LPGA membership to outline the goal behind the new policy. She said players would never be required to be fluent or even proficient in English, but rather would be asked to get by with the basics of the language.

Notes

• Camilo Villegas, coming off a tie for third last week that allowed him to advance in the PGA Tour Playoffs, continued his good form with eight birdies on long, soft Bellerive Country Club for a 5-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead at the BMW Championship in St. Louis. Steve Stricker made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 4-under 66, tied with Kenny Perry, Tim Herron, Stuart Appleby and Andres Romero. The first round Thursday was postponed because of rain.

• Peter Tomasulo, Chris Stroud, Brian Stuard and Jonathan Fricke had holes-in-one Thursday in the first round of the Utah Championship, the first time in Nationwide Tour history that there have been four aces in a round. Four aces were made on the same day — and the same hole — in the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill.

• Rory McIlroy shot an even-par 71 for a share of the lead with defending champion Brett Rumford after the second round of the European Masters, where American teen Tadd Fujikawa missed the cut by three strokes at Crans-Sur-Sierre, Switzerland. Fujikawa's father, Derrick, was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and awaits trial next month in Hawaii.

• In her final tournament in Europe, Annika Sorenstam shot a 2-under 71 to drop five strokes behind leader Martina Eberl after the first round of the Nykredit Masters at Helsingoer, Denmark.