Team RP vies in MercedesTrophy Asian regional final

Gil Ho Lee, Emmanuel Te, and Freddie Sarabia – the champions in the National Final of the inaugural Philippine MercedesTrophy Golf – hope to continue their winning ways next week when they compete in the much-awaited Asian Regional Final slated in Queensland, Australia.

The three earned the right to participate in the 36-hole team and individual competitions after topping the national final held at the Sta. Elena Golf Club last May. They will join an elite international cast featuring teams and players from neighboring Asian countries such as Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam,

Hope Island Resort Golf Club’s par-72 championship layout has been chosen as the site of the 16-year-old MercedesTrophy, an event exclusively for discerning MercedesBenz car owners worldwide.

"The enthusiasm shown by the players in our practice sessions and meetings are positive signs for good things to come. We are confident of no less than a championship," said Greg Yu and Felix Ang, chairman and president of CATS Motors Inc., the team’s chief sponsor. Cathay Pacific Airways, Smart Infinity, Arrow Shirts, Lucerne, and Sta. Elena Properties are the other backers.

But according to Emy Arcilla, who’ll head the delegation as country captain, they will have to cope up with the chilly weather and playing without a caddy – some things Filipino golfers are not accustomed to.

"It’s true that these may affect our overall performance. However, we have already mapped out strategies to address them," said Arcilla, who together with Ang hosted a lunch send-off with the trio last week at the Manila Golf Club.

Arcilla added that if they get past the Australia stage, a bigger challenge lies ahead in the MercedesTrophy World Final scheduled September in Stuttgart, Germany.