Nationality Russia Role Golfer Height 1.74 m | Weight 60 kg Name Svetlana Gounkina Education Lynn University | |
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Born 1 April 1980 (age 44) Moscow, USSR ( 1980-04-01 ) | ||
Svetlana Gounkina (Russian: Светлана Александровна Гунькина, born 1 April 1980 in Moscow) is a Russian golfer. She is a multiple Russian National Champion. She was the Bronze medalist in the World Golfers Championship.
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Biography
Prior to golf she was a talented tennis player.
She started playing golf in 1992 at Moscow City Golf Club in Moscow.
Her first coach was Larisa Maloletkova.
After a year of practice at the age of 13, she took the 2nd place in the National Championship of Russia. In 1994 and 1995, she became the Russian National Champion. During 1994, she was the leader of the Russian national team and participated in the first Russian-American junior golf exchange. In 1997 at the President's Cup was included in the country's best junior team.
In 1997 she entered the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics.
In 1998, she participated along with the Russian team at the World Golfers Championship held in Sweden and became the bronze medalist. To date, it is the best result for the Russian team at the World Golfers Championship.
In 1998, Svetlana Gounkina became the first Russian golfer to receive full scholarship (both athletic and academic) to the private American University Lynn University in Florida. Svetlana chose to go to Lynn University though she was offered scholarships from three different state universities.
In 1998, she left to study in the United States and until 2001 she led the Lynn University golf team. Additionally, the Lynn University golf team finished first place among other US golf teams in their respective divisions. She also received strong support and encouragement from the famous Swedish hockey player and founder of the first golf course in Russia, Sven Tumba.
Gounkina was the first Russian golfer to try to compete in a USGA major when she entered the US Women's Open qualifying. (With a score of 76, she missed the cut by 2 strokes).
In 2003, she returned to Russia and remains the first and only Russian with a degree in Golf Management.
She has worked at different golf clubs in the USA, Kazakhstan and Russia, most recently appointed by Troon Golf as Sales and Membership Director at Agalarov Estate Golf and Country Club.
On 22.01 2011, Svetlana married Jason Chennault. Jason is a specialist in the maintenance and operations of golf courses.
Achievements
Special prizes
Trivia
While playing golf in the United States she also received a national US poetry award. One of her poems (Attack on America) was recorded on disc at Disney's Epcot Center "The Sound of Poetry", where the poems are read by well-known people of America.
Also while working in Kazakhstan, Kazakh composer Tulegen Mukhamejanov used her poem to write the song "Do not go away." A music video was filmed to this song with a performance by Kazakh singer Lera.