MENDOZA, LEE TOP MERCEDESTROPHY

MARCO MENDOZA and Aimee Lee churned out superb rounds in tough conditions to rule their respective divisions and lead the winners in the MercedesTrophy Golf Invitational at the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club in Laguna.

Mendoza scored a net 40 points to capture the Class A plum, while Lee reigned in the ladies side with a 72 from a gross 93 with Simon Heo and Francis Wee sharing the spotlight by ruling the Classes B and C with 46 and 44 points, respectively, in the 18-hole tournament played over the posh 27-hole layout.

The winners in three men’s divisions and their respective runners-up along with the ladies champion will all represent the Philippines in the MercedesTrophy Asian Finals set in Brisbane in August via Philippine Airlines.

The best Filipino placer in the Asian Finals will clinch a berth in the World Finals set in Stuttgart, Germany, in October.

Aside from the rare chance to play alongside the other regional winners, participants in the Asian Finals will also be treated to an experiential drive that will showcase the worldclass performance and dynamic handling of Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Joining the Australia trip are runners-up Laurence Tan (39 points-Class A), Emmanuel Lopez (40 points-Class B) and George Barcelon (41 points-Class C).

More than 200 players made up of Mercedes-Benz owners and guests took part in the 14th staging of the annual championship presented by Auto Nation Group Inc., exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the country, and backed by Platinum sponsors Makati ShangriLa Hotel, Philippine Airlines, PLDT, Paramount Life and General Insurance, Shell Philippines and TW Steel.

The event, backed by the BUSINESS-MIRROR, Boysen, Remy Martin, Security Bank and Boss, was also held to raise funds for the Cardinal Medical Charities Foundation Inc., a nongovernment organization that grants medical care and financial subsidy to disadvantaged patients.