Mabuhay Miles under way at Eagle Ridge

GEN. TRIAS, Cavite, Philippines – Philippine Airlines president Jaime Bautista leads a powerhouse field of over 300 golfers, all company chief executives, top professionals, and captains of business and industry, when the 2009 Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational gets underway today at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club here.

Bautista will hit the ceremonial tee at 7:30 a.m., setting off the shotgun tee-off across Eagle Ridge’s three championship courses in play for the tournament.

Competition will be in four divisions for the men plus the ladies division. Class A and the ladies side is set at the Dye course, Classes B and D tour at the Faldo course while Class C bets vie in the Norman course.

The 18-hole event – an annual gathering of Elite, Premier Elite and Million Miler members of Mabuhay Miles, PAL’s popular frequent flyer program – will be played under the System 36 handicapping format.

The tournament is backed by major sponsors Airbus, Allied Bank, Boeing, GE Pacific, Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, MasterCard, Manny O Wines, Petron, Mizuno and Sabre Airlines Solutions.

The hole-in-one sponsor is Toyota Motor Philippines while Century Park Hotel is the official hotel. AIU Insurance Philippines is the official insurer.

The corporate sponsors are KID-Systeme, Panasonic Avionics, Samsung Electronics, Star Cruises and Yahoo! Philippines.