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Key Points

Akshay Bhatia delivered a flawless 63 to tie for the lead at the 3M Open, showcasing his short-game brilliance with two chip-in birdies. The Indian-American star is vying for his third PGA Tour victory, having previously won the Valero Texas Open. Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, making his tournament debut, shares the lead while chasing his maiden PGA title. Meanwhile, Kurt Kitayama electrified the field with a course-record 60, tightening the leaderboard race.

Key Points: Akshay Bhatia Ties Lead at 3M Open Chasing Third PGA Tour Win

  • Bhatia matches career-low 63 with two chip-in birdies
  • Olesen seeks first PGA Tour win in debut 3M Open appearance
  • Kurt Kitayama fires record-tying 60 to join contention
  • Takumi Kanaya aims to become Japan’s sixth PGA Tour winner
3 min read

Indian-American Akshay Bhatia comes close to third PGA Tour win as he shares lead at 3M Open

Indian-American Akshay Bhatia shares the 3M Open lead after a stellar 63, eyeing his third PGA Tour victory alongside Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen.

"I’m just trying to play solid golf and hopefully the cards fall my way tomorrow. – Akshay Bhatia"

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, July 27 (IANS) Akshay Bhatia shot a career-equalling 8-under 63 on the moving day to move in a share for the lead at the 3M Open on the PGA Tour. He shared the lead with Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen who aced the par-3 eighth and shot a 4-under 67 at the TPC Twin Cities.

Bhatia, a 23-year-old Indian-American, whose parents came from India, chipped in twice on way to 63, as he seeks his third PGA TOUR victory in his 90th start with his previous wins being the 2023 Barracuda Championship and the 2024 Valero Texas Open. His third round 8-under 63 matched his career-low score which he has shot five times. The last time Bhatia played the 3M Open, he was T-64 in 2024.

Bhatia, No. 46 in the FedExCup, is attempting to go right up to the Tour Championship as he did in 2024.

Bhatia said, "I chipped in twice, made a lot of putts. A lot of putts lipped in, which was really nice to see. All in all, just a pretty solid round. Felt like I did a pretty good job of playing out of the rough today. I didn’t hit it particularly great off the tee, but thankfully greens are soft enough to where you can kind of do that.”

Bhatia, who closed 2024 with a fourth place in World Challenge at Tiger Woods’ tournament has also got three Top-10s in 2025 including Tied-third at the Players. He chipped in from 42 feet for birdie on the fifth and from 55 feet for another birdie on 11. “I’m just trying to play solid golf and hopefully the cards fall my way tomorrow," said Bhatia.

Tied for first with Bhatia is Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen seeking his first PGA Tour win, is making his 3M Open debut, holds 54-hole lead/co-lead for the first time on the PGA Tour. He entered the week No. 129 in the FedExCup and the eight-time DP World Tour winner earned PGA Tour membership for the 2025 season after finishing No. 7 in the 2024 DP World Tour Top 10, which awards Tour membership to the top 10 finishers in the final

Race to Dubai Rankings, not otherwise exempt.

The 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard winner, Kurt Kitayama recorded a career-low 11-under 60 and T-3 at 17-under. Kitayama also matched the tournament and course record with a 60.

Also tied third is Takumi Kanaya (65) and seeks to become the sixth player from Japan to win on Tour and second this season after Hideki Matsuyama, who won The Sentry title.

Also in a tie for third are Sam Stevens (66) and Jake Knapp (67).

Lying in a three-way tie for seventh are Chris Gotterup (65), Pierceson Coody (67) and Jesper Svensson (63) at 16-under.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a golf enthusiast, I'm impressed by Bhatia's consistency. To match his career-low score five times shows incredible skill. The competition is tough but I believe he can do it!
A
Ananya R
His parents must be so proud! It's not easy to excel in golf coming from India where cricket dominates everything. More power to him! 🌟
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David E
While I appreciate Bhatia's talent, I wish the article gave more context about his Indian background. How did his parents' journey influence his career? Would love to know more human interest aspects.
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Kavya N
That 55-foot chip-in on 11th must have been magical! Golf needs more Indian representation and Akshay is doing us proud. Hope this inspires more kids in India to take up golf seriously.
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Michael C
The competition looks fierce with Olesen and Kitayama in the mix. But Bhatia's recent form suggests he's ready for this challenge. That 63 under pressure shows championship mentality.

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