Russian Golf Association

Russian Golf Association (RGA) was founded with the purpose of uniting efforts of both private persons and organizations interested in developing golf in Russia. RGA was acknowledged by the Russian State Committee for Physical Culture and Sports (Goscomsport) as the sole organization empowered by the Russian Federal Law on Sports to conduct official All-Russia golf tournaments, form Russian national teams, represent Russia in international golf organizations, coordinate and conduct general management of golf domestically. The first Amateur Golf Championship was won by Alexander Strunkin and Svetlana Kiyko in 1992. In 2000 the strongest foreign golf-players were admitted to participate. In 1995 the open championship of Russia - Russian Open - was initially conducted as a professional tournament with the prize fund (until then it was running for two years but the winners received the cups and souvenirs only). Since 1996 Russian Open has been included into the European Challenge Tour and fast enough became one of the most prestigious and favored stages of the Tour. Such world-famous golf-players like Justin Rose, Ian Pyman, Warren Bennett from England, Trevor Immelman from South Africa, Thomas Levee from France participated and won in Russian Open. The Russian teams have been playing in the European golf championships since 1993 and in the amateur golf tournaments since 1996. In 2002 Le Meredien Moscow Country Club in Nakhabino (Moscow District) for the first time witnessed the official European tournament - European Amateur Ladies Team Championship (the Team of Russia took the 6th place).