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Mercedes masters set for match play thriller at Song Be
  • | SGT | September 10, 2010 10:33 AM

Professional golf in Vietnam will break new ground this year when it witnesses its first ever match play tournament at the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam.
 

Song Be Golf Resort

The US$60,000 tournament, which will also be the first Mercedes-Benz Tour match play event, will be at Song Be Golf Resort from September 30 to October 2.

“The Mercedes-Benz Tour was created to provide playing opportunities for young golfers and so this is a perfect match for Vietnam, where the game of golf starts to develop,” said Udo F. Loersch, general director of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam.

A field of 32 players will compete in what will be the penultimate tournament on this season’s Mercedes-Benz Tour, which boasts 10 events.

Match play golf is arguably one of the most exciting forms of the game, which sees players compete against one another head to head.

On the opening day a total of 16 matches will be played and by the third and final day only two players will face each other in the final.

“We are looking forward to welcoming back to Vietnam the finest young golfers in Southeast Asia for the fourth Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam,” Loersch said.

The Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam was first played in 2007 and Filipino Mars Pucay took the title. The following year Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat took top spot while his compatriot Namchok Tantipokhakul triumphed last season.

Juvic Pagunsan currently leads the Mercedes-Benz Tour Order of Merit with winnings of US$22,450. The Filipino won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand by seven strokes in June.

Singaporean Mardan Mamat was successful in the Mercedes-Benz Masters Malaysia, which was the most recent event played on Tour.

Another first for this year’s event is the fact that Song Be in Binh Duong Province is hosting its first professional golf tournament. Song Be now boasts three nine holes courses – the Lotus, Palm and Desert courses.

Only the top-60 players following the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam are eligible to play in season-ending Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia, which is the Tour championship. So it will be a tough battle in Vietnam to book a place in Indonesia.

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