Pettersson holds two-shot lead in North Carolina

GREENSBORO, North Carolina (Reuters) - Carl Pettersson will take a two-shot advantage into the final round of the Wyndham Championship after a solid four-under 66 kept the overnight leader clear of the field on Saturday.

A day after carding a brilliant 61 to surge into the lead, the Swede was less impressive with his putter on another benign day at Sedgefield but did enough to stay ahead.

The dual PGA Tour winner posted a 19-under 191 total, while Scott McCarron (64) holed an unlikely bunker shot at the par-four 18th to emerge as his closest threat.

Pettersson is six strokes clear of an American trio locked in a tie for third -- Briny Baird, Garrett Willis and Kevin Streelman -- suggesting the final round will be a two-horse race.

"It's tough to play after you shoot 61 and I thought I played good," said Pettersson, who is based in North Carolina and lives a 75-minute drive from the course.

"Unless you get off to a really hot start you feel like you're behind the eight-ball.

"It's probably the worst score I could have shot. I had so many chances today, just didn't convert the putts like yesterday."

ONLY BLEMISH

Pettersson started with four successive pars, before picking up an eagle at the par-five fifth, where he hit an eight-iron to within four feet of the cup.

His only blemish came at the par-five 15th, where he took three putts from inside four feet, twice lipping-out before finally making a bogey.

McCarron applied the pressure with a bogey-free round that included the unlikely birdie at the last, where he holed a difficult 45-foot bunker shot.

"It was probably the only spot I really didn't want to be in," he said. "I had a downhill lie, downhill shot."

McCarron missed the entire 2007 season after undergoing major elbow surgery. His recovery was slow, but he says he has finally healed.

"Many times I wasn't sure if I could continue doing this, because you never know when you have an injury like that if you can make it back, especially to play at this level," the three-time PGA Tour winner said.

Pettersson said he had no plans to abandon his aggressive strategy in the final round, not with so many birdies available on a Donald Ross course that is not long enough to pose much of a challenge to the modern professional.

"Somebody is probably going to shoot 62 tomorrow and come out of the pack, so Scott and I are probably both going to have to go low," he said.

(Editing by John O'Brien)