On September 10-11, 2008 "a special" tournament of "Golf Digest" magazine took place on golf premises of Le Meridien Moscow Country Club near Moscow. It is officially named the Seventh Open Championship of CIS and Baltic States, which is the 10th International Tournament of Golf Digest Cup 2008. 197 players from more than twenty countries took part in the Cup, which is a record for the history of Russian golf tournaments.

On the first day of the Cup, golfers competed individually in several categories. The game had stroke play format (for players with handicap of 0-9 and professionals) and stableford with handicap counting (for players with handicap of 10-24 and women). The result of this unique golf marathon, that began early morning on September 10, 2008, is as follows: Vladimir Andryukin, who passed the course in 76 (+4) strokes, became an absolute champion among men from CIS and Baltic States. Pan Bock Hvan (77) and Indrek Myannik (77) got the second and third places.

Roman Kobitev from Lugansk with 47 points became the best golf amateur with handicap counting. His team colleague Andrey Dolgodush (46) came the second and Senator Gleb Fetisov (42) got "the bronze". Also from Ukraine, Kiril Lachin got the fourth place.

Lidiya Kozlova (42 points) became the best woman golfer among CIS and Baltic States. Svetlana Andryukina, for whom, as she told, it was the best result of the season, came the second (40). Polina Vorobyeva (38), regular participant of Russian club battles, closed the file of the strongest representatives of the beautiful sex.

Sergey Kim, a participant of individual contests, made a brilliant record: he drove a ball into the 16th hole with one stroke on 167 meters. It is the forth hole-in-one in Moscow Country Club.

The third time in the framework of the tournament there was a separate championship among professionals, in which Neal Raley (67-73, 140) enjoyed the victory.

September 9, 2008, on the eve of the tournament there was a traditional meeting at "Round Table", in which the participants discussed prospects of golf clubs development in CIS and Baltic States.

Russian colleagues admitted that Ukraine became the main news headliner: "During the previous year a long-awaited break-through happened in Ukraine and that work, which was done in several last years, caused a striking result".

As to Russia, very soon golf fever ought to come to Samara, where Hans Hollander, known by his work in Moscow City Golf Club, together with Vyacheslav Kedalo, will start developing five champion courses.

The battle for the name of the strongest team in CIS and Baltic States in 2008 season was among 22 flights. The game was played in "a pair scramble" format (the best ball) and each team was split in two pairs, which started in different groups. "Senators" team with 75 points came the first among teams. Masters from Moscow City Golf Club with 73 points came the second. "Palkin" team from Leningrad region (Saint Petersburg) came the third with 72 points. The fourth team was from Ukraine, represented by the First Golf Club (Lugansk); it included Alexandr Kobitev and already mentioned Roman Kobitev, Andrey Dolgodush and Kiril Lachin.


Materials were provided by "Golf Digest" and Ukrainian Golf Federation.