Allan Kournikova[a] (Russian: А́ллан Ку́рников, romanized: Allan Kournikov; born September 22, 2004)[1] is a youth golfer.[2] He won the U.S. Kids Golf European Championships in 2011–2015, and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships from 2011 to 2013 and in 2015.[3][4] He was also featured in the 2013 documentary film The Short Game.[5] He is the half-brother of former professional tennis player Anna Kournikova.[6]
| Allan Kournikova | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 22, 2004 Russia |
| Residence | Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
Background
editAllan Kournikova was born in Russia on September 22, 2004, to Alla Kournikova and composer/instrumentalist Baron Michael Moog de Medici.[7][6]
At age two, he took lessons in horseback riding and competed in international show jumping events.[6]
Golf professionals began to take notice of Kournikova at age 4, marveling at his skill.[8]
When he was eight, Kournikova took classes at Palm Beach Virtual School to allow time for golf training.[9]
Kournikova won the U.S. Kids Golf European Championships in 2011–2015 and the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships from 2011 to 2013 and in 2015.[3][4]
By 2012, his repeat world championships in golf were mentioned in The Wall Street Journal.[10]
His defense of his title at the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship was chronicled in the 2013 documentary film The Short Game.[11]
In June and August 2013, Kournikova won three consecutive titles in the European and world championships in the division for 8-year-olds.[12] In May 2014, Kournikova won the European championship by 22 strokes.[13] He won the 10-year-old divisions of the 2015 European World Championship and 2015 U.S. Kids World Championship by four strokes and nine strokes, respectively.[14][15]
Controversy
editIn January 2010, Kournikova's mother, Alla Kournikova, was convicted of third-degree felony child neglect for leaving him at home without supervision while she ran errands. The 5-year-old jumped from a second-floor window and was found wet, crying, bruised and bleeding by a neighbor, who called police.[16] Kournikova was treated at a local hospital.[16]
Notes
edit- ^ Russian surnames are declined based on the gender of the bearer. Kournikova uses the female form of his surname; the linguistically correct form would be Kournikov.
References
edit- ^ Leonard, Tod (July 13, 2011). "Another Kournikova finds sporting limelight". The San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
- ^ "Kehoe and Kournikova win in Pinehurst". American Junior Golf Association. August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Results | U.S. Kids Golf". U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Kids Golf Foundation Results". U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ Whitmer, Michael (September 19, 2013). "'The Short Game': Where youthful drama is par for the course". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c Leonard, Tod (July 13, 2011). "Another Kournikova finds sporting limelight". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Alla Kournikova - not mother of the year". Montreal Gazette. February 18, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ Luciano, Joseph (March 21, 2011). "Golfer Allan Kournikova, 6, brings 'natural ability' to greens". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- ^ "Champion Golfers Allan Kournikova and Alexa Pano Featured in Award-Winning Documentary, Palm Beach County Students Shine on the Course and Silver Screen". www.palmbeachschools.org. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ^ Winkler, Rolfe (August 6, 2012). "Eagle Scout Kournikova". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2014.
- ^ Rapold, Nicolas (September 19, 2013). "A Mean Swing, Between the Cuddles and Flatulence Jokes: 'The Short Game,' a Documentary About Young Golfers". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ "Final-round notes: 2013 World Championship". U. S. Kids Golf. August 4, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ^ "Results for European Championship 2014". U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. May 29, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ "Results". U.S. Kids Golf Foundation. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^ Bhardwaj, Rohit (August 3, 2015). "Shubham Jaglan finishes sixth at US Kids World Championship". The Times of India. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ a b Marx, Linda (January 20, 2010). "Mother of Tennis Star Anna Kournikova Arrested". People. Retrieved June 22, 2014.