TRAVELERS REST, S.C. -- Richard Johnson moved into the lead Saturday with just 18 holes remaining at the $625,000 BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs, the seventh of 31 events on the Nationwide Tour.

Johnson, a native of Cardiff, Wales, posted a 4-under-par 67 at the Walnut Cove course to move to 10-under-par 204, one stroke in front of Kevin Stadler (68/Cliffs Valley), Jess Daley (67/WC), Ken Duke (68/WC) and second-round leader Chris Stroud (71/WC).

“I played well again today,” said Johnson, who recorded his third consecutive round in the 60s. “Tee to green I’ve been solid all week but I haven’t gotten anything out of my game. Today I was able to take advantage of some opportunities and I went pretty low.”

Johnson, a former golf standout at Augusta State University, birdied Nos. 1, 7, 9, 10 and 17, with his only bogey coming at the par-4 seventh hole.

“I’m hitting it really good right now,” said Johnson, who managed to find 10 of 13 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation. “I’m wedging it close. It all comes down to putting. Hopefully I’ll be able to sink a few putts tomorrow.”

Johnson will be seeking his third career victory on Sunday, to go along with victories at the 1999 Florida Classic and the 2000 Monterey Peninsula Classic. But first he was planning on relaxing by taking in some of the tournament festivities scheduled Saturday night at the Cliffs Valley course.

“I’m just going to go head over to the Valley (course), putt a little, and then take in the Kevin Costner concert tonight and relax a little,” said Johnson. “Then we’ll get down to business tomorrow.”

Stadler, playing in the first group of the day at Cliffs Valley, moved into contention with a bogey-free 4-under-par 68.

“It was nice to be first off this morning,” said Stadler, currently No. 52 on the Tour money list. “We moved around pretty good on the front nine. It was actually pretty calm, making for good scoring conditions.”

“I just scraped it around out there today,” said Stadler. “I’m not hitting it great but I’m making a bunch of pars … whereas usually I’m all over the place making a bunch of birdies and bogeys.”

Stadler gained international notoriety earlier this year with his victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic, giving him full status on the European Tour. Despite not playing in a European Tour event since that time, he still plans on playing the minimum 11 tournament required to keep his status.

“I’m going to take next week off and then go to Europe for three events,” said Stadler, a two-time winner on the Nationwide Tour in 2004. “I want to play the minimum over there and play over here the rest of the time.”

A victory Sunday in one of the Nationwide Tour’s biggest events would go along way toward moving Stadler back to the PGA TOUR.

“This is one of the bigger purses so it would be good to have a good finish here,” said Stadler.

Third Round News & Notes: The cut came at 1-under-par 213 with 74 players making it to Sunday … Johnson Wagner (-6) extended his Tour-leading cuts made streak to a perfect seven straight to start the 2006 season … The top 14 pro/celebrity or pro-amateur teams to make the cut into Sunday’s final round: 1. Steve Collins /Brook Cely (-29), T2. Matt Weibring/Pat Green (-25), Franklin Langham /Bob Smith (-25), T4. Cliff Kresge /Randy Giddens (-23), Keoke Cotner/Lisa O’Hurley (-23), Nick Malinowski/Frank Davis (-23), T7. Kim Felton /John O’Hurley (-22), Joe Alfieri /Jim Davis (-22), T9. Johnson Wagner /Brad Skelton (-21), Scott Petersen/Scott Minton (-21), Bobby Gage /Rick Burns (-21), David Roesch /Jerry Burns (-21), T13. P.H. Horgan III/Lauren Rose (-20) and Craig Lile/Paul Van Den Bosch (-20).