José María Zamora, the Assistant Director of the European Challenge Tour, gave the Kharkov Superior Cup a wholehearted thumbs up ahead of the inaugural edition of the event held at the Superior Golf and Spa Resort.
It is the first time a major professional tournament has even visited Ukraine, a country in its infancy with regard to growing the game of golf, but already the venue, course and hospitality has wowed the players and staff alike.
Superior Golf and Spa Resort is a seven-star resort boasting a stunning lay-out right next to a luxurious hotel, which also features a world-class spa.
The players have been extremely complimentary about the course thus far this week while Zamora was keen to point out the huge welcome afforded to everyone that has made the trip to the historic city of Kharkov.
“From the moment I had our first meeting with the people involved in this tournament, I knew it was not a risk at all for us because the course was just superb,” said Zamora.
“I must say I did not think the conditions would be this good because when arrived this week the course was in incredible condition, better than I could have imagined.
“We must thank the greenkeeping staff for everything that they have done because they have truly done a superb job on this course and it is definitely in a condition fit for a tournament such as this.
“One of the purposes of the Challenge Tour is to bring the game of golf to new countries,” he continued. “We have done that in countries such as Russia and Kazakhstan already and we knew this would be a great opportunity to bring the game to another new destination in Ukraine.
“We hope that in a few years’ time we will see some Ukrainian players coming through and becoming more competitive in professional golf, as has happened in other countries.
“I would also like to add that, given that this is the first major professional tournament in this country, the golf course, the organisation and the hospitality is on a scale rarely seen before at an inaugural edition of an event.
“We at the Challenge Tour want to thank everyone involved, from the President of Superior Golf and Spa Resort Yuriy Sapronov to the President of the Ukrainian Golf Federation Oleg Korban and everyone else involved in the tournament. It has been a great event so far.”
