IT'S A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RUSSIAN-STYLE
... ANYTHING GOES AT RESORT OF THE RICH


By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Only at the Russian open amateur international championships could you have professionals - Gordon Brand, for one - figuring among the first-round scores at the Pestovo Golf Club for the well-heeled Russians, about 20 miles north of Moscow.
And only at a Russian championship would you find 17 players - 12 men and five women - who did not break 100 in the first round.
The highest score of the day was returned by one Sergey Kronfeld who is last of 71 men with a score of 123. He required 64 shots for the outward half and 59 for the inward half, running up three 9s and four 8s. All credit to Mr Kronfeld for returning a score - but should he really be playing in a country's national championship?
The English Golf Union sent four of their brightest young lads to see if one of them could repeat Seve Benson's victory in the men's event last year.
So far so good with Christopher Wood from Long Ashton, Bristol - a quarter-finalist in last year's British amateur championship at Royal Lytham - leading the men's field with a two-under-par 70.
Compatriot Sam Hutsby (Liphook), winner of The Duke of York Young Champions' Trophy tournament at Dundonald Links, Ayrshire last year, is lying second on 71 and Dale Whitnell (Forrester Park) is sharing third place with a professional, Alex Gruzdov, and a Philipp Mejow of no known country.
Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale) completed the English quartet's satisfactory day with a two-over-par 74 - five shots better than the aforementioned professional, Gordon Brand.
Germany international player Nina Holleder is leading the women's field with a par 72 - three ahead of Russian hope Galina Tormistrova, with Germany's Stephanie Doering third on 76.
Lizzie Brand, from England, had an 82 but that was good enough to give her fifth place in a field of 25 girls going into the second round.
Pestovo Golf Club has a yacht club, an equestrian centre and other leisure facilities in its spacious grounds which include villas as well.
Leading scores:
MEN
70 Christopher Wood (Long Ashton).
71 Sam Hutsby (Liphook).
72 Dale Whitnell (Forrester Park), Alex Gruzdov (professional), Philipp Mejow.
Other scores:
74 Matthew Baldwin (Royal Birkdale).
79 Gordon Brand (professional).
123 Sergey Kronfeld (Russia).
WOMEN
72 Nina Holleder (Germany).
75 Galina Rotmistrova (Russia).
76 Stephanie Doering (Germany).
Other score:
82 Lizzie Brand.

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com