Lakeside, CA (My Sportsbook) - Michael Letzig owned a two-shot lead on the 18th tee Saturday at the Nationwide Tour Championship and seemed well on his way to gaining his PGA Tour card for 2008.

After finding a greenside bunker with his approach at 18, Letzig blasted out and watched as his ball rolled some 30 feet from the cup. From there, he four- putted for triple-bogey to fall into a share of third place.

That collapse gave Richard Johnson the lead at 16-under-par 197. Despite a quadruple-bogey on the 11th, Johnson carded a four-under 67 to take the lead.

Tom Scherrer also shot 67 to move into second place at minus-15.

Letzig's closing triple capped a round of two-over 73. He shares third at 14- under-par 199 with Kelly Grunewald (67) and Jim McGovern (68).

Scherrer and Letzig are battling to get into the top 25 on the money list. If they can do that, they will gain their PGA Tour cards for next year. Scherrer is 27th on that list right now, while Letzig is 26th. Letzig was well on his way before the triple-bogey, but now will need a solid round on Sunday.

Hovering in sixth place is current bubble boy, Brendan Pappas. The South African is 25th on the money list and shot 68 Saturday to move from a share of eighth to a tie for sixth at 13-under-par 200.

Johnson and Letzig were battling for the lead throughout the first 10 holes. Johnson birdied the first two before Letzig bogeyed the third as his lead dropped from four at the start of the round to one.

Both players then birdied the sixth. Letzig pushed his lead back to two as he birdied the seventh at Barona Creek Golf Club.

Johnson fought back with three consecutive birdie putts from the eighth to gain a share of the lead at 17-under as his birdie at 10 matched Letzig's. What seemed to be the big turning point came at the par-three 11th.

Letzig stumbled to a bogey, but still picked up three shots on his playing partner. Johnson hit into a bush off the tee and took an unplayable lie. His third ended in the same bush resulting in another unplayable penalty.

Johnson pitched on to the green with his fifth, then two-putted for quadruple bogey. That dropped him to 14-under and he fell further back with a bogey on the 12th. He went on to par three straight from there.

Letzig birdied the 12th from 14 feet to stretch his lead to four over McGovern and Scherrer. Letzig dropped a shot on the 15th as he three-putted for bogey.

Meanwhile, Johnson was making a late charge. He birdied the 16th and 17th to join Scherrer in second at 15-under. Johnson sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the last to gain the out-right lead.

"This is just going to be a fun week for me," said Johnson. "I'm putting it well. I'm pretty much doing what you need to do well around here to score and I just so happen to be leading. Surprisingly, to be honest.

"If I win, I win. If I don't, I'm playing on the PGA Tour anyway next year so it really doesn't matter."

Johnson was shocked by Letzig's closing four-putt triple-bogey.

"Michael struggled a little bit today, but his putter was fairly solid. He missed a few coming in, but I made a seven on a par-three," stated Johnson. "I guess I am used to doing that this year at some point during my tournament. So I got it out of the way early I guess."

Scherrer posted five birdies and a bogey in his round of 67.

Pappas was joined in sixth place by Martin Laird (67) and B.J. Staten (69). Gary Christian, Ron Whittaker and Scott Gardiner are one shot back at minus-12.