Keegan Bradley has taken the outright lead going into the final day of the PGA Tour's Travelers Championship, with Adam Scott's five-under-par 65 leaving him six shots back in joint fourth.

Scott opened with two birdies and managed four more along with a bogey on the par-5 13th, but it was not enough to reel in the storming Bradley.

The US golfer, who shared the 36-hole lead with Denny McCarthy, carded six birdies during a bogey-free round to take his total to 21-under 189, the lowest 54-hole score of his career and one stroke shy of the all-time PGA Tour record.

He holds a one-shot lead over Chez Reavie after three rounds at Cromwell, Connecticut.

"It was just really solid," Bradley said.

"Pretty boring honestly until the very end there. I'm proud of the way I played.

"I've wanted to win this tournament forever, so the feeling of wanting to push and win is something I need to fight against and just let myself go out and play."

Reavie, who also posted the best 54-hole score of his career (190), had eight birdies and one bogey on his way to a 63 to keep the heat on Bradley.

"I didn't look at a leaderboard (before going out)," Reavie said.

"I saw it when we got three or four holes into the round, (then) I saw some of the scores."

Patrick Cantlay recorded a nine-under 61 to move within five shots of Bradley in outright third. He made nine birdies, including four straight on holes 12 to 15, to enter the final round 16 under.

McCarthy shot even-par 70 to fall six shots off the pace, where he shares fourth with Scott - the leading Australian - and the resurgent Rickie Fowler.

Justin Thomas (62) and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (63) had strong rounds to move up to a tie for seventh place at 14 under alongside in-form Australian Min Woo Lee (65).

Lee's countryman Lucas Herbert (66) is a short further back in a tie for 12th.

Reigning champion Xander Schauffele (67) has never successfully defended a title in five previous attempts on tour. He stands at 11 under, 10 shots behind Bradley.

- with Reuters