ERWIN Arcillas, a journeyman who is winless in 10 years as a pro, yesterday fired a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to pace the talent-laden, P3.5 million ICTSI Luisita Championship field by three strokes in Tarlac.
The Zamboanga native, whose career has been up-and-down that he sometimes caddies for some of the tour more illustrious names, had nines of 33-33 to pull the rug from under the big guns and pace Angelo Que and Cassius Casas by three.
Miguel Tabuena, the hot favorite, and Antonio Lascuña were another stroke back after 70s like three others even as a huge group that had Japan’s Toru Nakajima, Dutchman Guido Van Der Valk, Aussie Kevin Marques and American Christopher Oetinger trailed the pace by five after 71s.
“Everything just fell in place,” Arcillas said in Filipino after his scintillating effort that saw him drain three straight birdies from No. 15.
Que, coming into the event without the benefit of a practice round, was working on a four-under card only to stumble with a bogey 6 on the 15th, while Casas, another ex-Philippine Open champion, had an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys in a 34-35 card.
Tabuena, the prodigious 21-year-old guns for a second straight win at the Robert Trent Jones-created gem, birdied Nos. 4 and 5 but couldn’t pick up a shot the rest of the way.
Frankie Miñoza and defending champion Charles Hong fired 72s to be in the company of 10 others.