Zach Johnson takes lead at Sherwood with a big finish

Zach Johnson was four shots off the lead, but still hopeful, when he teed off in the third round of the Chevron World Challenge on Saturday.

“You never know, 36 holes [left], right?” Johnson said. Speaking of Tiger Woods and the other leaders, Johnson said, “Hopefully I get to see them.”

Johnson actually went right past them Saturday, using a dramatic eagle on the 18th hole to take a one-shot lead over Woods in the 18-player tournament in Thousand Oaks that benefits Woods’ charitable foundation.

Standing in the fairway 163 yards from the 18th pin at Sherwood Country Club, Johnson used a seven-iron to hit a shot that took a couple of bounces on the green and disappeared into the cup.

The spectators lining the green, many bundled in ski caps and gloves on a cold, windy day, erupted in cheers as Johnson raised his arms in celebration.

The eagle gave Johnson a four-under 68 and a three-round total of 208, or eight under par. Woods, who started the day with a three-shot lead, struggled to get traction in the wind and shot a one-over 73.

First-round leader K.J. Choi was in third place at five under par, while three golfers stood at three under: Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland.

Woods said he hit the ball well but was compromised by the winds coursing through the Sherwood layout. His round included bogeys on three of the par-five holes, normally his strong suit.

“I hit a lot of good shots today” but the “wind was very gusty and swirling all over the place,” he said. “It was tough out there. I played the par-fives awful.”

Johnson, 35, won the 2007 Masters, but the Iowa native often has struggled the last two years. His last win came in May 2010, at Colonial in Fort Worth.

Woods has gone a full two years without a win, and now the question is whether the world’s former No. 1 golfer and winner of 14 major tournaments can once again secure a victory after enduring personal scandal, injuries and the adoption of a new swing.

Woods, a four-time winner of his charity tournament, said his struggles Saturday would not influence how he plays Sunday, when the winner will receive a check for $1.2 million.

“I’m just going to go out there and play . . . same thing I do every week,” said Woods, who turns 36 on Dec. 30. “I’m right there with a chance going into tomorrow.”

Johnson shot par on the front nine and then caught fire with an eagle at the par-five 11th hole, when he chipped in from off the green, followed by birdies at Nos. 12 and 13. He stumbled with bogeys at 16 and 17 before his dramatic finishing shot.

“I think any day I pick up five or six shots on anybody in this field is a good day,” Johnson said. But he cautioned that “there is so much golf ahead. Anything can happen.”

The extremes of Woods’ round included a birdie on the par-four fourth hole, when he chipped in from off the green, and a bogey on the par-five 16th when his ball found a shallow stream that crosses in front of the green.

james.peltz@latimes.com