The 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, is heating up as Thorbjorn Olesen and Akshay Bhatia ended Saturday tied for the lead at 18-under-par. Olesen made headlines with a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole, while Bhatia delivered a brilliant round of 63 to stay in contention for the final day.
Olesen’s Hole-in-One Highlights His Round
Thorbjorn Olesen, the 35-year-old Danish golfer, had a solid 4-under 67 round. The big moment came on the 209-yard, par-3 eighth, where he aced the hole using a soft 6-iron.
“It was a back pin,” said Olesen. “I just felt like I couldn’t get there with a 7, so we went for a soft 6-iron. Took the slope perfectly. A big bonus to see it go in.”
Olesen followed that ace with a bogey on the 9th, but came back strong on the back nine with birdies on the 13th and 14th, a bogey on 15, and another birdie on the short par-4 16th.
He is now aiming for his first PGA Tour title, having already won eight times on the DP World Tour.
“There’s going to be pressure, but I’ve handled pressure before,” Olesen added, referencing his Ryder Cup experience and previous tour victories.
Akshay Bhatia Shines With a 63
Akshay Bhatia, just 23 years old, also impressed with a bogey-free 8-under 63 that included two chip-in birdies from 42 and 55 feet.
“I didn’t drive it great, but I made a lot of putts,” Bhatia said. “Just trying to play solid golf and see how it turns out tomorrow.”
Already a two-time PGA Tour winner, Bhatia now shares the lead heading into the final round and hopes to add another title to his growing resume.
Kitayama Ties Tournament Record With a 60
Kurt Kitayama was on fire, matching the 3M Open record with a 12-under 60. He had 12 birdies and one bogey, going 7-under on the front nine alone.
“You don’t go in with a number,” said Kitayama. “You just take what you get.”
His round tied the tournament mark set by Adam Svensson and the course record held by Paul Goydos in the 2017 3M Championship.
Kitayama now sits one shot behind the leaders at 17-under, along with Takumi Kanaya, Jake Knapp, and Sam Stevens.
Other Notable Scores
Jake Knapp shot 67 and had his first bogey of the week on the 17th
Takumi Kanaya carded a 65
Sam Stevens posted 66
Amateur Michael La Sasso from Mississippi fired a 63 and is tied for 16th at 13 under
La Sasso missed the cut last week but bounced back strongly this time.