“We’re not just looking at the LPGA as it is now,” Galloway said. “We’re looking at the future of the LPGA. As you well know, we have a large international membership. All indications are it’s not going to get smaller.”

Se Ri Pak was the only South Korean on the LPGA Tour in 1998, when she inspired a nation with her victory in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now, there are 45 players from South Korea on tour — two of them won majors this year — and 121 international players representing 26 countries.

International players have won 19 of 24 events this year — six by Lorena Ochoa of Mexico, seven by Asians. Most of them are capable in English, including LPGA champion Yani Tseng of Taiwan and U.S. Women’s Open champion InBee Park of South Korea.

“We believe so much in what we’re doing,” Galloway said. “If we’re getting any criticism, it’s coming from outside the organization. It’s not coming from the players, and those are the people to whom it applies.”

Padraig Harrington, who has won the last two majors, wondered if the LPGA Tour is taking on too much. Like others, he wants to know how much English a player is supposed to learn to be “effective.”

“Surely if you can say, ’Hello,’ that’s English. Is that good enough?” he said. “Who draws the line about how many words you’ve got to know in English? What if you have a person who genuinely struggles with learning a new language; they have a learning disability? That’s tough to ask somebody with a learning disability, who might have found golf as the saving grace in their life, to ask them to learn a different language or else you can’t play.

“There’s a lot of different issues to that,” he said. “It’s a big step to actually put it out there.”

Cabrera understands the importance of speaking English, and he realizes it only hurts him. He said he has a good relationship with Woods, but because of the language barrier, it always will be limited.

What troubles the big Argentine is why language should affect performance inside the ropes.

“I remember what (Roberto) de Vicenzo once said to me,” Cabrera said. “If you shoot under 70, everybody will understand you. If you don’t, they won’t want to talk to you, anyway.”

A few months ago, Choi had finished a brief interview when a reporter tried to say, “Thank you” in Korean, but told him he forgot the word. Choi laughed and playfully shared this thought with his agent.

“I taught him one word seven years ago and he still doesn’t remember,” he said. “And he expects me to learn his entire language?”

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

Nordqvist wins LPGA Tour Championship Out of Bounds: Tiger booed ... at Stanford? Latest golf videos Latest player news, rumors and more Tracking Tiger: News, features and more Tiger's triumphs: Recapping all Woods' wins Vote: When will Tiger win his 15th major? Vote, discuss: Best major of 2009? Special section: Golf on NBC Discuss: Sound off on golf at Newsvine.com Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: