Lakeside, CA (My Sportsbook) - Players often say the hardest thing to do in golf is follow a great round with a solid one.

On Friday, Michael Letzig proved it can be done once in a while.

Letzig opened with a course-record, 11-under 60 on Thursday. In Friday's second round at the Nationwide Tour Championship, he followed with a five- under 66 to push his lead to four strokes after two rounds.

He completed two rounds at 16-under-par 126, which broke the 36-hole record by five strokes. The old mark of 131 was set by Justin Bolli in 2004.

"It is always hard to follow a crazy round with another one," admitted Letzig. "I tried to stay aggressive out there."

This is a big week for Letzig and several other players, as the top 25 on the money list following this event gain their PGA Tour cards for next year. Letzig entered the event 26th on the money list, but is in excellent position to move into the top 25.

Richard Johnson fired a seven-under 64 to move into second place at 12-under- par 130. Roland Thatcher, the leading money winner on tour, also posted a 64 on Friday.

Thatcher climbed into a tie for third place at minus-11. He was joined there by Tom Scherrer, B.J. Staten, Tjaart van der Walt and Jim McGovern.

All four of those players are outside the top 25, with Scherrer the closest to getting his PGA Tour card for next year as he stands 27th on the money list. No more than two players have moved into position to get their cards in the previous 14 Nationwide Tour Championships.

Letzig's lead did dip to one during the round, but a late charge gave him some breathing room. He carded his first birdie from nine feet out at the par-three third at Barona Creek Golf Club.

The 27 year old cruised to five straight pars as his lead dropped to one. Letzig drained a birdie effort on the ninth to give him a three-shot lead at 13-under as Staten bogeyed the 11th to slip three back.

Letzig two-putted for birdie on the par-five 13th. After a pair of pars, he birdied the 16th to push his lead back to three after Johnson had birdied four of five holes from the 13th to move within two.

Letzig came right back with a 48-foot eagle putt on the 17th, but he dropped a shot at the last for his first bogey of the week.

"I putted well again today, I just didn't have putts that I could be aggressive with," said Letzig, who put a new putter in the bag on Wednesday. "I'm playing with no pressure. Regardless of how I do this week I am still going to PGA Tour Q-School."

Johnson got going with birdies on one, three and five to move to minus-eight. He ran off seven consecutive pars before pouring in four birdies in a five- hole stretch from the 13th to climb to 12-under.

Brenden Pappas, the self-proclaimed bubble boy, posted his second straight five-under 66. Pappas currently holds the 25th position on the money list. He was joined in eighth place at 10-under-par 132 by Kelly Grunewald and Gary Christian.