WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - The mercurial dynamic of the PGA Tour seems to catch up to every player in his career.
For former Virginia Tech star and fan favorite Johnson Wagner, that time is now, his ninth season on golf's big stage.
Wagner reeled in a 3-under 67 on Saturday to move to 6-under, putting himself in position for a run - albeit as a longshot - at the sixth Greenbrier Classic on the Old White TPC.
One of 15 golfers to play in every Classic, Wagner's best finish was in 2013 when he was tied for second.
This year, however, he needed to use an exemption for finishing 126-150 on the previous season's money list. The top 125 players on the list are automatically exempt. He is currently 102 on the money list, but made only his second cut in the last nine events since losing in a playoff at the Shell Houston Open on April 5.
"I was fortunate to get a few sponsors exemptions early in the year," said Wagner, whose average finish in making the cut in four of his first six events was 54th. "Now, I'm starting to get in based on my category. I had a great week in Houston, thought I probably could've won, but thought it was a great to be in a playoff."
Wagner has played well on the Old White TPC, where the Virginia Tech alumnus has plenty of support. He missed the cut in 2010, but has two top 15 finishes and a T26 in 2014.
He had a disappointing conclusion last year, leading by two strokes entering the final round when lightning caused a delay of 3 hours, 10 minutes. The players finished in virtual darkness.
"It took a while to get over that," he said "I went into a big slump after that. I woke up that morning feeling it was mine, it was just a formality going out to play. Things change, things happen, I'll be back, hopefully for years here and confident I'll be champion here one day."
Wagner is tied for 32nd and is within five shots of the lead shared by Jason Bohn, Sean O'Hair, S.J. Park and Bryce Molder.
His 67 ties with the Puerto Rico Open for his second-best, third-round score of the season. He shot a 66 in the third round of the Shell Houston Open.
"I had it going early," Wagner said. "I birdied 12 and really wanted to get a few coming in, but I had a solid round. A low round (on Sunday) goes a long way, that's for sure."
Wagner wasn't in any real danger of not playing in the Greenbrier Classic and on his "favorite place of the year, hands down."
He was in regular contact with tournament director Monte Ortel in a quest to have a spot one way or the other.
"I've been eyeballing this tournament since the beginning of the year and I always do. The design of an old C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor course, just doesn't matter what my form is coming into it," said Wagner, who tested some swing changes that he said didn't work out. It was very important that I played this tournament. I've been talking with the tournament director the last couple of weeks because my number was out. I was not looking to get in and was hoping for a sponsor exemption. He (Ortel) was kind of protecting me with the last couple of spots, so I felt good about getting in here."
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WAGNER RECALLED during the 2013 Classic when he was putting on the "fourth or fifth green," and a spectators' ringtone - which was a Maroon 5 song - was audible.
While cell phones are permitted on the course, fans are required to keep them on silent. While the phone's owner scrambled to turn it off, Wagner danced a bit and remarked, "I love this song."
"The crowds are so good here," he said. "They've been great to me, so fun for me to be here."
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AMATEUR AND Haskins Award winner Maverick McNealy has made an impression in his first Greenbrier Classic.
The 19-year-old rising junior at Tigers Woods' alma mater, Stanford, had four birdies and two bogeys on the back nine on Saturday to sit at 7-under.
McNealy has managed the potentially disastrous weather, which included pounding rain, puddles on greens that forced an 18-minute delay on Friday, and fairways that prohibited long rolls.
"I'm just having fun out here," McNealy said. "I'm happy to get the sponsors invite, the Haskins here, and trying to do a lot of what I've done this college season. Learning as much as I can from the pros out here, listening to what they have to say, how they go about their business."
McNealy, who's majoring in management science and engineering, has two years of school remaining but has no intentions of following in the footsteps of former teammate and 2014 Haskins winner Patrick Rodgers, who left school to turn pro.
"I love Stanford, I have two years left and I want to get my degree," he said. "I'm going to stick it out there, play the best golf I can until then, and get my degree."
Contact Assistant Sports Editor Rich Stevens at richstevens@dailymailwv.com or 304-348-4837. Follow him on Twitter @richdailymail