TARLAC – Rolando Marabe Jr. tripped with a bogey on the last hole but took a step ahead with a 69, leading an unlikely 1-2 charge by the unfancied Filipino bets as Erwin Arcillas moved to joint second with a solid 68 midway through the $100,000 ICTSI Luisita Championship at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Marabe recovered from an early bogey mishap with a stirring backside flourish, birdying five in a six-hole stretch from No. 9 but blew a two-shot lead after an indecision while tackling the wind cost him a stroke on the par-4 18th.

Still, his 36-33 card complemented well with his bogey-free 67 Tuesday and his eight-under 136 put the 42-year-old Bacolod bet in front of a crack international field chasing the top $17,500 purse in the kickoff leg of the second PGT Asia season put up by ICTSI.

“With just around 150 yards to the pin, I opted for a 9-iron but changed my mind and took a wedge as the wind blew sideways. I hit the green but the ball bounced back and left me with 25 yards,” rued Marabe.

Arcillas, bucking wild driving with superb recovery shots and putting, completed the big 36-hole shock by the lesser-lights as he turned in a flawless 68 to tie American John Jackson at second at 137.

“I’ve been training the last few weeks and it showed in my short game and putting,” said Arcilla, who finished just a rung ahead of Marabe in last year’s PGTA Order of Merit ranking.

What made Arcilla’s solid round doubly impressive was he did it despite hitting just three fairways and four greens with the 40-year-old Zamboangeño vowing to stay focused in the last two rounds and finally gain a crack at the elusive crown.

“I need to play safe if need be but will still go for those birdie holes,” said Arcillas, who also shot a 66 in the first round here last year.

Jackson slowed down with a 70 but kept his bogey-free run going while Finland’s Teemu Putnoken Putkonen fired an eagle-spiked 68 for joint fourth with Thai Varanyu Rattanaphiilboonkij, who shot a 69, at 138.

Korean Lee Song, who took charge in the opening round with a 66, hit an eagle on No. 12 but made six bogeys and a double bogey against two birdies, limping with a 76 and slipping to joint 13th at 142 with two days left in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Aussie David Gleeson carded a 71 to share sixth place with American Josh Salah, who made a 69, at 140 while Nicholas Coxon fumbled with a 73 after a 68 and dropped to 141 with compatriot Tim Stewart, who rallied with a 69, Indonesian Elki Kow, who also shot a 69, and Macedonia’s Peter Stojanovski, who matched par 72.

The fancied locals failed to gain headway with so-so rounds as Jay Bayron and Tony Lascuña stumbled with 73s for 143 and 145, respectively, and reigning PGT OOM winner Clyde Mondilla bounced back with a 70 after a 76 and barely made the 50-plus ties cut at 146 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.