American golfer Keegan Bradley crumbled in the Malaysian heat to shoot a 76 on Saturday in the third round of the CIMB Classic and drop three shots off the pace, while compatriot Phil Mickelson recovered to stay in the hunt.

Bradley had seized a four-shot lead on day two on Friday with pinpoint accurate shots in the $US7 million ($A7.3 million) PGA Tour event in Malaysia.

With just one round left on the narrow Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course, Ryan Moore returned to the top of the leaderboard on Saturday, where he was joined by fellow American Chris Stroud.

The burly Moore was on fire in the opening holes, but a cold putter on the back nine stalled his charge for a three-under-par 68 and 12-under 204.

Moore, who is seeking his third PGA Tour title, holed birdies on the first, third, fifth, sixth, ninth, 10th and 14th holes, but dropped shots on the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th.

Stroud, chasing his maiden PGA Tour victory, also suffered on the back nine, but managed a 68 to join Moore, the first-day leader, at the top of the field.

It is a tight leaderboard with Gary Woodland of the US and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat on 11-under, while Jerry Kelly is a further shot back.

World No.3 Mickelson, who struggled with his swing in the earlier rounds, finally found some form with a 68 to lie five strokes off the lead on 209.

He moved up 14 places to be in with a sniff of the title going into Sunday’s final round.

Aaron Baddeley was the best of the Australians on 210 after a third-round 70, one shot adrift of Mickelson, bunched with six other players.

Fellow Australian Wade Ormsby shot a disappointing 74 to be three strokes behind Baddeley.