GEN. TRIAS--Philippine Airlines president Jaime J. 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 & 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.

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Competition will be in four divisions for the men plus the ladies division. Class A and the ladies play at the Dye course, Classes B and D tour the Faldo course while Class C tackles 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.

Among the confirmed players are Roy Navarro, chairman of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.; Rod Feliciano, chairman of DHL Philippines; Fernando Victor Imperial, president of Republic Aggregates; and Bryan Cockrell, president of Pathfinder Group.

The tournament is backed by major sponsors Airbus, Allied Bank, Boeing, GE Pacific, Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa , Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, MasterCard, Manny O Wines and Petron. (PR)