Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Facing substantial criticism, the LPGA
Tour announced Friday that it would rescind a recently-announced policy that
would have required players to learn and speak English.

The tour was to call for players to comply by the end of next year or face
suspension.

"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," said LPGA commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. "In that spirit,
we will continue communicating with our diverse tour players to develop a
better alternative."

The LPGA said it will announce a revised approach -- absent playing penalties
-- by the end of the year.

It had faced considerable backlash from across the sports spectrum and beyond
since the impending policy was first reported last week.

Among the policy's most vocal critics was California state senator Leland Yee,
who called it "unfair, unreasonable, and discriminatory."

"Omitting qualified players from LPGA membership is inappropriate and
unsuitable for the world we live in and poorly reflects on the increasingly
diverse population of California and the United States," Yee said over the
weekend.

Leading civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-
Defamation League had joined in the protest, as had several ethnic rights
organizations.

Yee pointed out that there are 121 international players on the LPGA Tour from
26 different countries. Largest among the groups, of course, is the tour's
burgeoning Korean population.

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