CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Boo Weekley shot a 6-under-par 66 Saturday at the Black Creek Club and took the lead after 54 holes of the Nationwide Tour’s Chattanooga Classic. Weekley’s 22-under score of 194 is two shots better then second-round leader Brandt Snedeker, who eagled the final hole for a 3-under 69. Garrett Willis (69) is three back heading into Sunday’s final round of the $475,000 event while Tim O’Neal (64) and Andrew Buckle (68) are four off the pace.

Weekley, who has never won on the Nationwide Tour, has been putting on a statistical clinic this week by playing bogey-free golf for the first 54 holes.

“I changed putters about a month ago and I started rolling the ball better and started getting my confidence back,” said Weekley, who has tied for fifth, 16th and 7th the last three weeks. “For every one of us out here, that’s the only problem we’ve got. Ninety percent of the time is our confidence with the putter.”

Weekley’s career-best 9-under 63 on Friday moved him into contention, one back of the leader and into some unfamiliar territory.

“I was a little nervous at first today because I ain’t been in this position in such a long time. It’s all new to me again,” admitted Weekley in his southern drawl. “I’m getting my feet wet again and getting back in it. To be able to come out here and feel good about what I’m doing and have that confidence, it’s started to show. It’s just a matter of time the way I feel and as good as I’m hitting it.”

A resident of Florida’s panhandle, Weekley has been nearly perfect for the first three days, hitting 38 of 42 fairways and 53 of 54 greens in regulation. Of his 194 total strokes, 94 have come on the greens, where he has totaled 32, 30 and 32 putts respectively.

“I believe I’m putting it a lot better,” said the leader. “I missed a few putts that I had a good chance of making. I felt good over the putts. It was just a couple small things that could have gone either way.”

In comparison to Weekley’s steady play, Snedeker’s round was a bit more up and down with three birdies, two bogeys and an eagle on the scorecard.

“I hit the ball pretty good but made a couple of bad swings at the wrong times to minimize my scoring opportunities,” said the Vanderbilt grad. “I was a little tentative and I just couldn’t get the speed down on the greens.”

Snedeker cut Weekley’s lead in half on the final hole, a 532-yard par 5. His second shot, a rescue club from 236 yards out settled about 12 feet from the pin. The 2003 U. S. Public Links Champion canned the putt to reach 20-under par and close the gap on his good friend.

“Those were the two best shots I hit all day. It was nice to do that when I need it most,” said Snedeker, who is in search of his first Tour win.” That made a long day feel a whole lot better. It was good to see something go in at the end.”

The round of the day belonged to O’Neal, who never made a putt longer than eight feet while shooting an 8-under 64 that included two eagles on the back nine, both on par-4s.

Third-round News and Notes: Third-round play was in threesomes off the first and 10th tees…Fourth-round tee times will run from 7:59 to 10:00 am in threesomes off the first and 10th tees…Boo Weekley’s 22-under score of 194 is the lowest on the Nationwide Tour this year and matches the seventh lowest opening 54-hole score in Tour history…Amateur Luke List, who will be a senior at Vanderbilt University this fall, rattled off six birdies in a row (Nos. 3-8) during his third round…Bryce Molder, who started on the back nine, posted eight birdies over a 10-hole stretch beginning at No. 17…Saturday’s scoring average of 69.141 marked the third straight day that the average was below 70.