Mercedes-Benz Masters kicks off at Southwoods

MANILA, Philippines - The Mercedes-Benz Tour kicks off its 10-leg circuit today with the staging of the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines with the country’s leading pros slugging it out with some of the region’s best at the Manila Southwoods’ Legends Course in Carmona, Cavite.

Angelo Que, winner of The Country Club Invitational early in the year, heads a strong line up of local players while Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat, the defending champion, and compatriot Namchok Tantipokhakul, winner of last year’s Order of Merit title, will head the crack foreign field in the $60,000 event which stakes $9,750 to the winner.

“There’s a lot of players here who have won before on the Mercedes-Benz Tour and are very keen to win this week. There are the obvious favorites but there is also plenty of strength in depth which means a relative unknown can break through from the pack,” said Que, who has won three titles on the Tour and claimed the Merit list in 2008.

Que finished joint 10th in the Malaysian Open last month and is currently in 12th place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit ranking, making him one of the players to watch this week.

“I have been playing well so I am hopeful of a good week. The scores should be low as the ball is running a long way. The greens are slick so it’s going to come down to putting,” said Que, a former Philippine Open champion.

Wisut won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines at Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club in 2008, beating Que and a host of other Filipino players with the Thai ace looking for a repeat this week.

The Thai golfer also won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam crown in the same year but has gone winless last year.

“I was very disappointed not to have won last year so I am really motivated to win this season. It helps to be playing at such a great venue like Manila Southwoods but the competition is strong so it will be tough to win,” said Wisut.

Wisut and Que have been paired together along with Elmer Salvador, the 2009 Philippine Open champion who also claimed last year’s ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour Merit list title.

Namchok stole the show last year by winning on two occasions and finishing number one with earnings of $27,540 from eight events.

“I just missed getting my Asian Tour card by one stroke this season at the Qualifying School so I was unhappy but I am now looking forward to the new season on the Mercedes-Benz Tour. There is a lot to play for with 10 tournaments on the schedule. I gained a lot of confidence by playing so well last year and aim to keep the same form going in 2010,” said Namchok, who is paired with Tony Lascuña and Indonesian No. 1 Rory Hie.

Other fancied players in the fold are Mars Pucay, Artemio Murakami, Juvic Pagunsan and Marvin Dumandan, Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul and Varut Chomchalam.

Singapore’s Quincy Quek is also competing and is expected to be in the mix.

A total of 129 players will tee-off on Wednesday.

This year’s Mercedes-Benz Tour boasts 10 tournaments offering a total purse of $580,000.