Russian Golfers and World Golf
- The first professional golfers in Russia were Denis Zherebko and Alexander Strunkin. After winning the championship of Russia in 1997, Konstantin Lifanov also turned pro.
- Among women, the pioneer of golf was Svetlana Gounkina. After showing excellent results in Russia, in 1998 she received academic and athletic scholarships to study at Lynn University in the United States. Prior to 2001, she was number one on her university's team. She became the first in the history of Russia to become a bronze team winner of golf championships among universities USA. She was also the first Russian woman to participate in the Futures Tour (developmental tour for the LPGA), and the first Russian golfer to participate in a qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open (she scored 76, falling 2 strokes short of qualifying).
- Following Gounkina's success, both of Kostina's sisters went to America to study. They later played on the Futures Tour.
- Uliana Rotmistrova was the first Russian golfer who changed her amateur status to professional. She qualified for the women's EuroTour.
Read more about this topic: Golf In Russia
Famous quotes containing the words russian, world and/or golf:
“Who are we? And for what are we going to fight? Are we the titled slaves of George the Third? The military conscripts of Napoleon the Great? Or the frozen peasants of the Russian Czar? No—we are the free born sons of America; the citizens of the only republic now existing in the world; and the only people on earth who possess rights, liberties, and property which they dare call their own.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“Is it a world to hide virtues in?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Did I make you go insane?
Did I turn up your earphone and let a siren drive through?
Did I open the door for the mustached psychiatrist
who dragged you out like a golf cart?
Did I make you go insane?”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)