Prior to golf she was a talented tennis player. She started playing golf in 1992 at Moscow CityGolf Club in Moscow. Her first coach was Larisa Maloletkova. After a year of practice at the age of 13, she took the 2nd place in the NationalChampionship of Russia. In 1994 and 1995, she became the Russian National Champion. During 1994, she was the leader of the Russian national team and participated in the first Russian-American junior golf exchange. In 1997 at the President's Cup was included in the country's best junior team. In 1997 she entered the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics. In 1998 she participated along with the Russian team at the World Golfers Championship held in Sweden and became the bronze medalist. To date, it is the best result for the Russian team at the World Golfers Championship. In 1998 Gounkina became the first Russian golfer to receive a full scholarship to the private Lynn University in Florida. She chose to go to Lynn University though she was offered scholarships from three different state universities. She led the Lynn University golf team until 2001, during which time the team finished first place in its division in the United States. She also received strong support and encouragement from the famous Swedishhockey player and founder of the first golf course in Russia, Sven Tumba. Gounkina was the first Russian golfer to try to compete in a USGA major when she entered the US Women's Open qualifying.. In 2003 she returned to Russia and remains the first and only Russian with a degree in Golf Management. She has worked at different golf clubs in the USA, Kazakhstan and Russia, most recently appointed by Troon Golf as Sales and Membership Director at Agalarov Estate Golf and Country Club.
Personal life
In 2011 Svetlana Gounkina married Jason Chennault, a specialist in the maintenance and operations of golf courses.
Achievements
1993 – 2 place in Russian championship.
1994 – Champion of Russia.
1995 – Champion of Russia.
1995 – Champion of Russia among juniors.
1997 – Champion of Russia among juniors.
1998 – Team Bronze medalist in the «World Golfers Championship».
1998 – President's Cup – longest drive- 240 meters.
2006 – Russian Cup – longest drive.
2010 – Russian Masters 2010 – longest drive.
Trivia
While playing golf in the United States she was the recipient of a national US poetry award. One of her poems, Attack on America, was recorded on disc at Disney's Epcot Center "The Sound of Poetry", where the poems are read by well-known people of America. Also while working in Kazakhstan, Kazakh composer Tulegen Mukhamejanov used her poem as the basis for the song "Do not go away." A music video for the song featured a performance by Kazakh singer Lera.
