MIAMI, Fla. -- Chad Collins shot a 5-under-par 66 in Saturday’s rain-delayed third round of the Miccosukee Championship to move to the top of the leaderboard in the final full-field event on the 2006 Nationwide Tour schedule. Collins is at 13-under par and leads by one stroke over Tim O’Neal (68) and by two over Bryce Molder (67) and Gary Christian (69). Cliff Kresge (67) and Boo Weekley (69) are three off the pace heading into Sunday’s chase for the $90,000 first-place check.

Saturday’s third round was delayed early on by severe thunderstorms that rolled through South Florida and allowed only 45 minutes of play before being suspended for 2:10. When Collins finally got to tee it up around 11:30, he put together a nearly perfect round. The 28-year old from Indiana was solid from start to soggy finish, missing only one fairway and one green.

“I just try to do that every day, no matter what tournament it is,” said Collins. “The less stress and pressure I put on myself by not hitting it in the rough or missing greens, the better chance I’m going to have to win.”

Winning is about the only thing Collins hasn’t done during this, his second season on Tour. He ranks No. 26 on the money list and has finished second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth but hasn’t been able to duplicate the victory he earned during his rookie season at the Henrico County Open.

“Winning last year was a huge, huge bonus because I proved to myself I could do it,” said Collins, who also won three NCAA Division III individual championships at Methodist College. “I’ve been playing pretty well in the last month and had some high finishes but I just haven’t been able to piece four rounds together.”

Collins is close, having put 67-67-66 on the board and grabbing a lead for the first time this season. A win on Sunday will push his season total to more than $250,000 and lock up a spot on the 2007 PGA TOUR. The top-20 money winners following the final event, the Nationwide Tour Championship, will earn playing privileges on TOUR.

“It could be (career changing),” said Collins of what a win would do. “I didn’t look at the leaderboards today and I’m going to do the same thing tomorrow. I think that keeps me more even-keel and calm and not stressed about being in the lead.”

While Collins was hitting fairways and greens and playing textbook golf, O’Neal was dropping putts and salvaging pars from all different spots at the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club. O’Neal hit only six fairways and seven greens and still managed a 3-under-par 68, which included his first and only bogey of the week.

“I played okay,” said O’Neal, who is No. 53 on the money list. “I guess I putted okay too.”

O’Neal ranks 62nd in fairways hit this week (out of 63 who made the cut) and is tied for 44th in greens in regulation but ranks No. 1 in putts per round.

His biggest miss off the tee and subsequently his biggest save of the day came at the 190-yard, 17th hole.

“I hit a 5-iron high off the club face and came up well short in the rough, short of the bunker,” he said. “I thought I hit a pretty good chip shot but that came up short and in the fringe.”

His short game saved him once again. O’Neal drained a 21-foot par putt to keep the pressure on his playing partners, Collins and Christian.

Sunday’s tee times will run from 7:12 to 11:55 am with an expected finish around 4pm. The final round will be televised on The Golf Channel from 1:30 to 4 pm.

Third-Round News & Notes: Lift, clean and place conditions were in effect for round three…Thunderstorms and threatening conditions forced a suspension of play from 8:35 to 10:45 am…Grant Waite withdrew during the round due to an injury…Tim O’Neal’s bogey on No. 8 was his first of the week, ending his bogey-free streak at 44 holes…The best rounds of the day were 4-under 67s turned in by Craig Bowden, Nick Flanagan and Chris Tidland…The third-round scoring average was 70.677… Ricky Barnes extended his consecutive cut streak to 22 in a row this week. Barnes has posted scores of 67-73-70 and is tied for 35th place at 3-under par.