Veteran Marco Dawson took over the lead with one round remaining at the PGA Tour qualifying school.
Veteran in control at PGA qualifying school after fifth round of 68
Marco Dawson took over at the top of the leaderboard ahead of the final round at the PGA Tour qualifying school in La Quinta.
The 48-year-old has been making upward progress ever since a first round of 73 in the six-round event in California and grabbed the lead from Will Claxton after carding a 68 to take him to 17-under par on Sunday.
For the first time in the competition, Claxton did not end the day with at least a share of the lead after stumbling to a 76, his worst round of the week.
That sent the former Auburn University player sliding into a share of fifth place, six shots behind Dawson.
Stephen Gangluff is three shots adrift of Dawson in second place with Harris English and Brendon Todd one shot further back in a tie for third place.
Claxton is tied with former Ryder Cup player Vaughn Taylor, Brian Harman and Jarrod Lyle in fifth.
Big names
Several former major winners are competing but all could miss out on one of the 25 2012 tour cards that are up for grabs.
The 2002 US PGA winner Rich Beem stands tied for 122nd and out of contention after a 74, while David Duval, the former Open champion and world number one, finally made a positive move after treading water through his opening round rounds.
Duval had a fifth round of 68 to nudge him up to a tie of 63rd, but he will almost certainly have to shoot in the mid-60s tomorrow to stand any chance. Shaun Micheel, the 2003 US PGA champion, languishes in 111th following a 76.
The best-placed of the major winners is former two-time US Open winner Lee Janzen, who had a 71 for a second day in a row to finish tied for 42nd.
Jeff Maggert, who played on three Ryder Cup teams in the 1990s, has every chance of earning a card after a 66 saw him shoot up the leaderboard from 41st to a tie for 13th.
England's Greg Owen improved his prospects too, with a 70 allowing him to reach a tie for 34th.
