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Key Points

Akshay Bhatia made a strong push with four straight birdies in Round 3, finishing at 8-under. South Africa's Aldrich Potgieter leads by two shots after a stellar 65. Collin Morikawa remains in contention, four strokes behind the leader. The FedEx Cup race heats up as players vie for playoff qualification.

Key Points: Akshay Bhatia's Late Birdie Streak Boosts Rocket Classic Standing

  • Bhatia surged with four consecutive birdies late in Round 3
  • Potgieter leads by two shots after a 7-under 65
  • Collin Morikawa trails by four, seeking first win since 2023
  • Top 70 FedEx Cup standings battle intensifies for playoff spots
2 min read

Akshay Bhatia fires four straight birdies in late stages of Round 3 at Rocket Classic

Akshay Bhatia fires four straight birdies in Round 3, climbing the leaderboard at the Rocket Classic while Aldrich Potgieter takes the lead.

"Bhatia birdied four in a row and closed with a par on the 18th for a 70. – Tournament Report"

Detroit, June 29

Akshay Bhatia who made the cut on the line produced four birdies in a row in the late stages of his third round as he shot 2-under 70 and moved to 8-under for three days at the Rocket Classic.

Bhatia, who has had rounds of 68-70-70, is now tied Tied-55th.Bhatia is currently 40th on the FedEx Cup standings and the top 70 will qualify for the first of the three events in the play-offs, following which the Top-50 will move to the second and then finally the Top-30 play the Tour Championship, which had a purse of USD 25 million in 2024. Bhatia was 26th in 2024 and Sahith Theegala was third.Bhatia bogeyed the seventh and the 11th and was 2-over till he came to 14th tee. Then he birdied four in a row and closed with a par on the 18th for a 70.South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter goes into the final round of the Rocket Classic with a two-shot lead, hoping to hold off a pack of players, including Collin Morikawa, for his first victory on the circuit.

Potgieter had five straight birdies in a 7-under 65 to surge into the lead Saturday.

The 20-year-old Tour rookie is two ahead of Max Greyserman (66), Jake Knapp (66), Mark Hubbard (67), Andrew Putnam (67) and Chris Kirk (69) were two shots back. Three more players were another stroke behind.

Collin Morikawa, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 5 in the world, shot a 68 and is four shots back.

Two years ago in Detroit, Morikawa was outlasted by Rickie Fowler in a playoff. Morikawa, a two-time major champion, has not won on the TOUR since October 2023 at the Zozo Championship.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
Honestly expected better from Bhatia this season after his 2024 performance. He's struggling with consistency - one good round followed by average ones. Needs to work on his short game if he wants to stay in Top 30.
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Aman W
That Potgieter kid is on fire! 5 straight birdies is no joke. But Morikawa lurking 4 shots back makes Sunday interesting. Bhatia should take inspiration from these young guns - age is just a number in golf now.
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Sarah B
As an NRI following Indian golfers, I'm happy to see Bhatia fighting back after those bogeys. The mental game separates good players from great ones. Hope he can break into Top 50 this season! 🇮🇳🏌️‍♂️
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Karthik V
The FedEx Cup standings are so tight! Bhatia at 40th needs consistent performances. Remember when Anirban Lahiri made it to Tour Championship? We need that kind of inspiration again for Indian golf fans.
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Nisha Z
Golf is becoming so competitive with these young players! Potgieter at 20, Bhatia still young too... exciting times ahead. Hope DD Sports shows the final round live 🤞

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