"It's something we are dumfounded by"

It was only a matter of time before some of the LPGA Tour event sponsors either (A) distanced themselves from the English proficiency mess or (B) used the opportunity to suggest Carolyn Bivens needs to go. As reported by Michael Bush of AdAge, it appears the folks at State Farm took both options.

Saying it was "flabbergasted" by the Ladies Professional Golf Association's new policy requiring "effective communication in English on the part of all of our Tour members," State Farm is urging the group to reconsider -- or insurer may reconsider its sponsorship.

"It's something we are dumfounded by," said Kip Biggs, media-relations specialist at the insurer, which is a general sponsor of the league as well as of the State Farm Classic Tournament in Springfield, Ill. "We don't understand this and don't know why they have done it, and we have strongly encouraged them to take another look at this."

And considering that Bivens is suggesting that the rule is something required to survive in the modern business world, this would seem to suggest that she never actually gave those people a voice in determining whether penalties were really necessary:

Ann Wool, senior VP-director at Ketchum Sports network, said it was a mistake for the LPGA not to talk to its sponsors before announcing the policy. "When making a major policy decision it's always wise to notify your sponsors," Ms. Wool said. "I can only speculate that [the LPGA] didn't think this was going to be such a controversial issue, otherwise they probably would have. It was probably a bad move not to notify their sponsors."

I'll say. Let's see how many more sponsors distance themselves from the policy, or even better, how many come forward to support it.