Lakeside, CA (My Sportsbook) - Michael Letzig fired an 11-under-par 60 on Thursday to open up a three-stroke lead after one round of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek Golf Club.

Letzig posted the seventh 60 in Nationwide Tour history and it was the lowest round in Nationwide Tour Championship history by three strokes. Chris Nallen and Tyler Williamson were the last to shoot 60, both of which came in 2004.

"I managed to keep myself focused on the shot at hand," said Letzig. "It was crazy I made all those putts."

The big battle this week is to finish inside the top 25 on the money list. That gives players their PGA Tour card for 2008. Letzig is the odd man out right now standing 26th on the money list.

Gary Christian and Tjaart van der Walt, who are both looking for their first tour win and are both outside the top 25 on the money list, share second place at minus-eight.

James Driscoll, who is 24th on the money list, is alone in fourth after opening with a seven-under-par 64.

Letzig had a solid front nine, before really turning it on around the turn. He opened with a two-putt birdie at the first before parring the next three holes.

The 27 year old birdied the fifth and seventh, then made the turn around the turn at minus-four thanks to a 12-foot birdie putt on nine. On the back nine, he parred the first two holes before catching fire.

Letzig drained a 10-foot birdie try on the 12th and followed that with an eagle on the par-five 13th, from 30 feet out, that got him to seven-under. He birdied the 15th to gain a share of the lead at minus-eight.

He made it two straight as he birdied the par-three 16th. Letzig kept rolling with a birdie on 17 and made it four in a row to close out the round as he drained a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

"It is amazing when it rolls where you're looking," commented Letzig of his putting. "I was just trying to play my own game. This was the first round of golf I've played with a new putter in five years.

"I've really been struggling. I didn't plan on changing, but I didn't make anything last week."

Van der Walt had two hot streaks that left him in a share of second. He birdied three of the first four holes before parring the next eight. Van der Walt ran off five consecutive birdies from No. 13 to move to eight-under.

Christian birdied the first. He drained back-to-back birdies from the sixth and got to minus-four with a birdie at 10. Christian poured in three straight birdies from the 13th and closed with a birdie at the last to share second.

"I've been playing putrid golf for the last four months," admitted Christian. "I didn't believe I was good enough to make the top 25. It was my fault for not setting my goals high enough."

Jim McGovern and B.J. Staten, who are both outside the top 25, opened with rounds of six-under-par 65 and they were joined in fifth by Athens Regional Foundation Classic winner Martin Laird.

Eight more players -- Brad Adamonis, Fabian Gomez, Richard Johnson, Jeff Klauk, Franklin Langham, Brenden Pappas, Tom Scherrer and Peter Tomasulo -- are tied for eighth at minus-five. Of the group, only No. 6 Richard Johnson and No. 25 Brendan Pappas are inside the top 25 on the money list.