Thorbjorn Olesen and Akshay Bhatia Lead the 3M Open After Thrilling Day
In an exciting third round of the 3M Open, Thorbjorn Olesen and Akshay Bhatia placed at the top of the leaderboard, offering an unforgettable spectacle for the fans. Olesen, with an outstanding performance, achieved an impressive “ace” on the 8th hole and finished with a score card of 67 strokes (-4). Bhatia, for his part, signed a score card of 63 strokes, consolidating his position at the top. The 35-year-old Danish player, who was leading after the second round, used a 6-iron on the 8th hole, 209 yards, demonstrating his skill and precision.Bhatia, with a total of 195 strokes (-18), also shone with his game, highlighting his notable “chippings” and putts.I felt I couldn’t reach with a 7, so we went with a soft 6 iron. Obviously, it took the slope perfectly, a great advantage to see it go in. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one.
Thorbjorn Olesen
Kurt Kitayama tied the tournament and course record with an impressive round of 60 strokes, putting him at 17 under par. Takumi Kanaya (65), Jake Knapp (67) and Sam Stevens (66) also stood out, all with 17 under par. Olesen, after his “hole-in-one”, had a bogey on the 9th hole, but recovered with birdies on the 13th and 14th holes. The player is seeking his first PGA Tour title.I made two “chip-ins”, I made a lot of putts. A lot of putts went in, which was really nice to see. Overall, a pretty solid round. I felt like I did a good job playing from the rough today. I didn’t hit it particularly well off the tee, but fortunately the greens are soft enough that you can do that.
Akshay Bhatia
Bhatia, 23, showed his talent with two spectacular “chip-ins”.Obviously, it’s different and it’s a great opportunity. I’m not going to lie, there will be a lot of pressure, but I feel like in my career I’ve dealt with pressure pretty well. Obviously, the wins on the DP World Tour, but also the Ryder Cups.
Thorbjorn Olesen
Kitayama tied the tournament record set by Adam Svensson in the first round. Knapp suffered a bogey on the 17th hole, being his only mistake of the week. Michael La Sasso, from Mississippi, finished in 16th place with 13 under par after a 63.I’m just trying to play solid golf and hope the cards fall my way tomorrow.
Akshay Bhatia
