Apology helps ease golf controversy

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Less than two weeks after her comments about Asians on the LPGA tour, professional golfer Jan Stephenson appeared yesterday with the one of the world's rising stars, Michelle Wie, in a free golf clinic at the Ko Olina Golf Club.

Jan Stephenson talks with members of the University of Hawai'i women's golf team at a free clinic at the Ko Olina Golf Course. Michelle Wie also took part and answered questions about Stephenson's remarks about Asians. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

After the two-hour clinic, Wie answered questions about Stephenson's comments that were published in an Oct. 10 edition of USA Today that used excerpts from a November issue of Golf Week. Stephenson told Golf Week: "Asians are killing our (LPGA) tour" with their "lack of emotion" and "refusal to speak English when they can speak English." She also criticized Asian players for ignoring pro-am partners and sneaking out of pro-am parties.

Stephenson apologized for her comments a day later while she was competing at the men's Turtle Bay Championship on O'ahu, but some anger remained in Hawai'i, where Asians make up 41 percent of the population.

The president of local Korean radio station KOAM 1460 said the station was peppered with calls requesting additional information about Stephenson's comments, and this week the Japanese American Citizens League of Hawai'i condemned Stephenson's remarks but added that they appreciated her apology.

During her introduction yesterday, Stephenson was greeted with solid applause by spectators. She made no mention of her comments to spectators but did make a brief reference to it during her introduction, saying that she's been known to "put my foot in my mouth."

Wie said she believed Stephenson's comments — which were later clarified to mean the LPGA tour's rising Korean stars — were not intended at her. Wie is Korean American.

"I'm American, so I think I'm out of it (Stephenson's comments)," Wie said. "I don't really read those kind of stuff. I'm not really interested in it. I just want to live a happy life. I don't really want to be in the controversy."

When asked for her thoughts on Asian players and minorities in golf, the 14-year-old Punahou School freshman responded that a person's race or social standing should never be an issue.

"I don't think it matters who you are if you play the game of golf," Wie said. "If you're black, you're Portuguese, you're Filipino, you're Asian, or you're white, it doesn't really matter. Even if you're poor or rich. If you can play the game, you can play the game."

Greg Nichols, director of golf at Ko Olina, said the crowd of spectators was more than expected for the clinic that was scheduled about six weeks ago. He said Ko Olina officials discussed canceling the clinic after the Stephenson comments but decided to go on after she apologized.

Stephenson said she was only trying to help the LPGA when she made the comments to Golf Week and added that only the controversial comments were used, and not the positive ones that said Asians are fantastic, beautiful and talented players.

"I certainly apologize for the statements," Stephenson said. "I was so devastated that it came out as a racially motivated comment. I really didn't mean it that way. I was trying to help the LPGA. (In the Golf Week interview) we were going over if I was commissioner and what I would do differently, as opposed to when I first came on the tour, (and) how we made the tour so popular."

Some spectators yesterday said they enjoyed the clinic and said they held no hard feelings.

"She even admitted that she tends to put her foot in her mouth and regrets it later," said Sylvia Chin of Seattle. "I guess she's human. Ideally, it would be a learning experience for both parties. She'll learn from her remarks, and some of the golfers from Asian countries will maybe think about their actions, too."

Ki-Yeoun Kim, president of KOAM 1460, said some Korean players don't speak English very well and that leads to misunderstandings. For that reason, he said some of the Korean players tend not to speak too much.

"We need to educate Korean LPGA players so this misunderstanding won't happen," said Kim, who said language and cultural barriers have affected Korean players. "We need more explanation of our culture."

Jaesun Lee, the editor of The Korea Daily of Hawai'i, said Stephenson's comments were caught "immediately" by the Korean media here and abroad. "Basically, I think Stephenson needs to be more open minded," Lee said. "I think golfers should be judged by their golfing."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at 535-2458 or at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.