Mercedes-Benz, the worldwide leader in luxury vehicles, is taking an aggressive stance in promoting golf in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region for 2008.  The German auto giant had recently signed a three-year deal as the Asean Golf Tour’s title sponsor.

The two-year-old Asean Golf Tour had a soft launch last year when it staged a five-tournament circuit with prize money ranging from $30,000 to $50,000.  Mercedes-Benz noticed its success and seized the opportunity to lend support.

This year, the rising Asean Golf Tour and Mercedes-Benz will partner in at least 10 tournaments, with each offering no less than $50,000, in key Asean nations namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Asean Golf Tour—established as an avenue to provide equal playing chances for the Asean Region’s top golf professionals—will have a season-ending $75,000 Tour Championship in Thailand sometime in November.

For the Philippine leg, the Asean Golf Tour will have CATS Motors Inc., the exclusive Philippine distributor of Mercedes-Benz vehicles headed by chairman Greg Yu and president Felix Ang, as the local counterpart.

Mercedes-Benz also enjoys a close bond with golf at the global scene.  It is the proud title sponsor of The Mercedes-Benz Championship, a regular fixture in both the US Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour and European Tour.

In addition, Mercedes-Benz stages the Mercedes Trophy, an annual golf affair for select Mercedes-Benz car owners around the world.  The Mercedes Trophy Philippine final has been set at the Sta. Elena Golf Club on April 21.

Bambee makes a name in Cincinnati

FILIPINA amateur and freshman Bambee de la Paz is making waves for the University of Cincinnati (UC) in the US.  She has won consecutive tournaments in two weeks, which makes her the hottest player on UC’s women golf team.

De la Paz, a member of the International Containers Terminals and Services Inc. (Ictsi) golf stable and a full scholar at UC, grabbed her inaugural collegiate individual award at the UC Spring Invitational played at the Elks Run Golf Course in Batavia, Ohio.

Her 228 total in 54 holes helped the UC women team to 943 points to beat by 47 strokes over runner Butler University, which assembled 896.

Just last week, de la Paz carded rounds of 78, 77 and 73 for 228 to win in the Illini Spring Classic held in Urbana, Illinois.

“It feels so great to win.  All my efforts, thanks to my Ictsi family, my mom and dad, are reaping rewards.  I hope I could gain momentum in the upcoming events,” said de la Paz in an overseas call to the BusinessMirror.

The tall and tan de la Paz will play next at the Cardinal Classic hosted by the Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, on April 13 and 14.

Marquez: I’m here to demand, not beg

DETHRONED super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on Tuesday clarified he came to Manila not to beg for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but to demand for one.

Louie still believes he can get hands on $0.13M

LUISITO ESPINOSA is not losing hope that he would still get his purse for a world title fight against Arentina’s Carlos Rios staged at the South Cotabato Stadium in Koronadal City more than 10 years ago.

ADAMSON University kept its composure, then leaned on guest player Neriza Bautista in the third set as the Lady Falcons hacked out a shocking  25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory over fancied San Sebastian College (SSC) to seize the solo lead in the Shakey’s V-League Season 5 at The Arena in San Juan Tuesday.

Patrick Gregorio, the first to be named executive director of the powerful Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), is contemplating stepping down from his post, a source said.

THE conference is barely two weeks old and yet the Coca-Cola Tigers are already making quite a noise.

HAPEE Toothpaste needed a strong first half in repulsing Burger King, 100-85, for its third-straight win Tuesday night in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

BACOLOD CITY—Defending national women’s champion University of Visayas (UV) easily disposed of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) to open its back-to-back bid on a high note and lead the opening-day winners of the 12th Nestea Beach Volley Visayas Eliminations Tuesday at the University of St. La Salle sand courts.

Mercedes-Benz, the worldwide leader in luxury vehicles, is taking an aggressive stance in promoting golf in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region for 2008.  The German auto giant had recently signed a three-year deal as the Asean Golf Tour’s title sponsor.

THERE’S the saying “a sound mind, a sound body.”

No matter what is one’s religious persuasion, there’s no doubt that positive thinking, or faith for some, does wonders. Not because things would magically turn in one’s favor, but because positive thinking is a matter of changing one’s perspective.