WICHITA, Kansas -- Sunday had been a long time coming for Kevin Johnson. But the wait was worth it as the 11-year Nationwide Tour veteran emerged from a crowded leaderboard to win the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open.

Johnson posted his fourth consecutive sub-70 round this week with a 5-under-par 66 at the Crestview Country Club. At 18-under-par 266, the former Clemson Tiger finished one stroke ahead of third-round leader Matt Kuchar (68) and two clear of Scott Gardiner (67) and Craig Lile (67).

"I knew it was going to be a battle today," said Johnson, a 39-year-old native of Plymouth, Ma. "I played really well. I think I performed better than I thought I would."

Kuchar began the day with a one-stroke margin and appeared poised to step into the winner's circle for the second time this season. A bogey on the par-4 13th hole, however, followed by consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16 by Johnson -- including a 20-footer on No. 16 -- led to a change at the top of the leaderboard. Both players bogeyed the par-3 17th hole and entered the final hole with Johnson nursing a two-stroke cushion. A perfectly executed flop shot by Kuchar pulled him within one shot, but Johnson calmly two-putted from 25 feet for the victory.

"K.J. played a great round of golf," said Kuchar, who collects $54,000 to move to No. 11 on the money list. "That is what champions do. There are a few things I wish I could take back but all in all I played good today. The more you get in this situation the better you get at it. Hopefully I'll get better at closing the deal."

Johnson added, "Matt wasn't letting up. He kept pushing me. We both grinded it right up until the end. I think we played really well but we had to because so many guys were on that leaderboard with a chance to win."

Prior to Sunday's victory, the season had been a struggle for Johnson. He had missed the cut in 10 of 13 starts -- including eight in a row at one point this season -- with a tie for 10th place at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic his lone top-25 finish.

"I haven't been confident in a long time," said Johnson, who made his 247th Tour start on Sunday. "I've been awful. You miss nine (eight) straight cuts and a lot of things start going through your head. I was honestly questioning whether I should stay out here. It beats up on you when you're not performing like you feel you ought to. This gives me confidence to know I don't have to change my golf swing."

The victory was the fourth of Johnson's career, but the first since his victory at the 2000 Permian Basin Charity Golf Classic -- a span of 110 tournaments.

"It has been a long while," said Johnson, who collects $90,000 with the win and jumps 110 spots from No. 139 to No. 29 on the money list with $104,886.

After post-round interviews with the media, Johnson was looking forward to a congratulatory phone call with his wife, Christa, and daughters, Jordan and Jade.

"My oldest daughter is six years old so she has never seen me win a golf tournament," said Johnson. "She just thinks I'm driving around the country playing golf tournaments. I haven't been bringing home any money either."

All of that changed on Sunday.

Final Round News and Notes: Kevin Johnson was one of five players in this week's field who played in the inaugural Wichita Open in 1990. He finished in a tie for seventh place that year ... Brandt Snedeker (T21) eagled the final hole of regulation on Sunday for the fourth time in his last five starts, with the other start at the Peek'n Peak Classic ending with a birdie. That 9-under stretch on the finishing hole each week has helped Snedeker jump from No. 93 to No. 7 on the money list with $187,522, including a playoff victory at the Scholarship America Showdown and a playoff loss at the Chattanooga Classic ... Eric Compton had his third straight top-10 finish at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, finishing T2, 8th and T5, respectively ... Steve Collins (68) saw his bogey-free streak snapped at 55 holes when he bogeyed the par-3 17th hole. There were two bogey-free rounds on Sunday -- Jarrod Lyle and Jeff Freeman -- bringing the total for the week to 40 ... Out of 18 tournaments in 2006, the 54-hole leader has won just six times ... The round of the day was turned in by Jarrod Lyle with a 7-under 64, helping him jump 48 spots on the leaderboard to T7 and to No. 20 on the money list ... The Nationwide Tour heads to Nebraska this week for the 11th playing of the Cox Classic presented by Chevrolet, the 19th of 31 official events this season. Just a year ago, Jason Gore won the Cox Classic for an unprecedented third straight victory on Tour.