Greensboro, NC -- (Sports Network) - Carl Pettersson carded a four-under 66 Saturday to maintain his lead after three rounds of the Wyndham Championship.

Pettersson, who set the new 36-hole scoring record here and matched the PGA Tour's record for lowest opening 36 holes, smashed the tournament's 54-hole scoring mark with his three-day total of 19-under-par 191.

The Swede broke his countryman Jesper Parnevik's record. Parnevik set the old mark of 195 in 1999. Pettersson's 191 total was two off the tour record for lowest opening 54-hole score.

Scott McCarron holed out for birdie on the 18th at Sedgefield Country Club to shoot six-under 64 and move into second place at 17-under-par 193.

Briny Baird fired an eight-under 62 to jump into a share of third place at minus-13. He was joined there by Garrett Willis (69) and Kevin Streelman (67). Willis needs a solo third-place finish or better to make it into the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Pettersson opened with four straight pars as McCarron climbed within one of the lead thanks to three consecutive birdies from the second. However, Pettersson knocked his second shot within five feet at the par-five fifth.

The Swede sank that eagle putt to jump to 15-under. He drained a 15-footer for birdie at the seventh to push his lead to four strokes.

Pettersson cruised around the turn with four straight pars. At the par-three 12th, his tee shot came to rest nine feet from the cup.

He ran that birdie putt home to briefly push his lead to five shots. McCarron responded with a birdie on 13 to get back within four.

Pettersson three-putted for bogey from within four feet at the par-five 15th and suddenly his lead was just two as McCarron birdied the 16th.

The 30-year-old Pettersson responded with a birdie on the par-three 17th as his tee shot at the par-three stopped four feet from the cup.

McCarron, who is playing on a medical exemption after missing last year due to elbow surgery, holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker at the last to get in at 17-under.

"I was in a really tough spot there, I had kind of a downhill bunker shot and downhill lie," McCarron explained. "I told my caddie if I made it I would do a snow angel, then I made it and chickened out. But it was a great shot and I was happy to finish that way."

Pettersson had a chance to respond with a birdie of his own, but his 21-foot birdie effort stayed above ground. He tapped in for par and his fifth 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. He is 2-2 in the other four events in which he lead after 54 holes.

"It was nice, I had a lot of support out there," said Pettersson, who played college golf at North Carolina State. "I played really good out there. I'm a little disappointed with my putter. But I felt like I played really good and handled myself well.

Pettersson moved into this area in high school and has lived here ever since.

"Yeah, it would be something special," Pettersson said of a potential win here. "When I was in high school, I used to come out here and watch the pros and dream about playing in this tournament. It would be something special to win here tomorrow."

McCarron, who carded six birdies in a bogey-free round, is going for his fourth PGA Tour win, but first since the 2001 BellSouth Classic.

"I'm really happy to be out here playing and playing well," McCarron said. "I'm having a lot of fun and this is a great golf course. I've made a lot of putts this week."

McCarron is also looking to secure his spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs, which start next week. He is 139th on the points list and is on track to finish inside the top 144 on the points list.

Scott Sterling (64), John Riegger (67), Kent Jones (65) and Bob Sowards (68) are tied for sixth at 11-under-par 199. All four need big finishes to move into the top 144 as they are rank as high as 168th, Sterling, and as low as 217th, Sowards, on the current points list.

Those four were joined at minus-11 by Jerry Kelly (68), Tim Clark (68) and John Senden (67), who are all into the playoffs already.

Rich Beem helped his cause in hopes of making the playoffs with a seven-under 63 Saturday. He jumped into a share of 13th at 10-under-par 200. He is currently 166th on the points list and needs a strong finish to make the playoffs.

Lower down the leaderboard, Davis Love III did not help his cause in the making the playoffs as he only shot one-over 71 and is tied for 63rd at minus- three. He is currently 150th on the points list and needs a great round Sunday.