Russian Open Golf Championship
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Moscow, Russia |
| Established | 1993 |
| Course(s) | Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,491 yards (6,850 m) |
| Tour(s) | European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | €1,000,000 |
| Month played | July |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 265 Per-Ulrik Johansson (2007) |
| To par | −23 (as above) |
| Current champion | |
 David Horsey | |
The Russian Open Golf Championship is a golf tournament on the European Tour, and the only one on the tour's schedule that was played east of the former Iron Curtain. The event was established in 1993, and was held at the Moscow Country Club in Nakhabino, just outside Krasnogorsk, Moscow Oblast, Russia.
Originally contested over the first nine holes at the Moscow Country Club as an amateur tournament while the rest of the course was still under construction, the Russian Open became Russia's first professional golf tournament in 1994. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, through its Secretary, Sir Michael Bonallack, officially recognized the tournament along with the 18-hole course opening in September 1994. It became an event on the second-tier Challenge Tour in 1996, and was added to the European Tour schedule from 2003. Between 2003 to 2005, it was an official money event on both tours, and from 2006 to 2008, it was solely an event on the European Tour calendar.
Through 2006, it was held on the same weekend in August as the PGA Championship, one of professional golf's four majors, which automatically made it a secondary event. In 2007, was held the weekend before the PGA Championship, but remained an alternate event, this time to the Bridgestone Invitational, a World Golf Championships event. In 2008, it was held the week after The Open Championship.
The 2005 prize fund of $500,000 was around a tenth of those of the leading events on the European Tour, even leaving aside the major championships and World Golf Championships. However, it was one of the richest tournaments of the season on the Challenge Tour. In 2006, when it became a European Tour only event, the prize fund doubled to $1 million, doubling again the following year, to $2 million.
The tournament was not played from 2009 to 2012 but returned in 2013 at the Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club.
Winners
European Tour
| Year | Winner | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2M Russian Open | ||||
| 2014 | David Horsey | 275 (−13) | Playoff |  Damien McGrane |
| 2013 |  Michael Hoey | 272 (−16) | 4 strokes |  Alexandre Kaleka Matthew Nixon |
| Inteco Russian Open Golf Championship | ||||
| 2009–12 | No tournament | |||
| 2008 |  Mikael Lundberg (2) | 267 (−21) | 2 strokes |  José Manuel Lara |
| Russian Open Golf Championship | ||||
| 2007 | Per-Ulrik Johansson | 265 (−23) | 6 strokes |  Robert-Jan Derksen |
| Imperial Collection Russian Open | ||||
| 2006 | Alejandro Cañizares | 266 (−22) | 4 strokes |  David Drysdale |
European Tour & Challenge Tour
| Year | Winner | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Russian Open | ||||
| 2005 | Mikael Lundberg | 273 (−15) | Playoff | Andrew Butterfield |
| BMW Russian Open | ||||
| 2004 | Gary Emerson | 272 (−16) | 2 strokes |  Markus Brier |
| 2003 |  Marcus Fraser | 269 (−19) | Playoff | Martin Wiegele |
Challenge Tour
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| BMW Russian Open | ||
| 2002 | Iain Pyman (2) | 269 (−19) |
| 2001 |  Jamie Donaldson | 270 (−18) |
| 2000 |  Marco Bernardini | 269 (−19) |
| 1999 | Iain Pyman | 273 (−15) |
| Moscow Country Club Russian Open | ||
| 1998 | Warren Bennett | 270 (−18) |
| Sovereign Russian Open | ||
| 1997 | Michele Reale | 280 (−8)PO |
| 1996 | Carl Watts | 203 (−13) |
Pre European & Challenge Tour involvement
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| General Motors Russian Open | ||
| 1995 |  Simon Clough[1] | 294 (+6) |
| Phillips Russian Open | ||
| 1994 |  Steve Schroeder | |
| Russian Open | ||
| 1993 |  Konstantin Lifanov | |
Notes
- ↑ "Briton Wins Russian Open". The Moscow Times. 5 September 1995. Retrieved 22 October 2008.