SAN ANTONIO, Texas: South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini fired a seven-under-par 63 Saturday to capture the third-round lead in the 4.5 million-dollar Valero Texas Open.

Sabbatini’s 14-under total of 196 put him one stroke in front of former Masters champion Zach Johnson, who posted a sizzling 62 for 197. Tim Herron (67), Chris Stroud (69) and New Zealand’s Tim Wilkinson (63) shared third on 199. “I’m just going to approach it the way I did the last couple of days,” said Sabbatini, whose last victory was at the 2007 Colonial. “I’ve got a new driver in the bag and a new three-wood in the bag and they’re performing better and better each day,” he added.

His round was highlighed by an eagle on the 11th, where he chipped in from about 10 yards in front of the green with a pitching wedge. He nabbed three birdies in a row from the 13th, a par-three where he landed a sand wedge about four feet past and made the putt. At 14 his poor drive bounced back into the fairway and he was on the green in two, two-putting for birdie from about 30 feet.

At 15, he hit a nine-iron 18 feet past the hole and made it, and he capped his round with a birdie at the last, where he hit driver off the tee and knocked a pitching wedge to about 12 feet to take sole possession of the lead.

“It’s always fun to be in the lead but, you know, that’s the beauty of golf. Every time you tee it up on Thursday you’re tied for the lead,” Sabbatini said. “It has been a good week and I’m enjoying it,” he added.

Sabbatini’s best Texas Open finish was a tie for 33rd, but he said he was happy to make a return trip to LaCantera while he was playing well. “This golf course is not that sets up very well when you’re spraying it,” he said. “It punishes you pretty quickly and pretty harshly.

The four-time PGA Tour winner admitted he had been fighting through a frustrating season. “It has just been a matter of trying to be patient,” he said.

Johnson, who won the Masters in 2007 when Sabbatini finished tied for second, is making his first career start in the Texas Open.

He hit 13 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation as he played without a bogey and led for much of the day until Sabbatini’s birdie at the final hole.

Johnson had five birdies ont he front nine, then birdied 14, 15 and 18 coming in. He said his disappointing 2008 had sent him back to work on his fundamentals, and he hadn’t played since missing the Cut at the Barclays in August.

Defending champion Justin Leonard, bidding for a record fourth Texas Open title, birdied the final hole en route to a six-under 64 that saw him tied for 19th heading into the final round.