Akshay Bhatita’s putter helped him enough to make a big difference during Saturday’s third round of the 3M Open.
That was a boost because Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, with a hole-in-one on the eighth hole, didn’t need a putter all the time.
The duo co-leads the tournament through 54 holes at Blaine, Minn.
Bhatia shot 8-under-par 63 to surge into the lead before Olesen, who was the second-round leader, caught up and posted 67. They’re at 18-under 195 going into Sunday’s final round.
“A lot of putts seemed to lip in today, which I feel doesn’t happen too often,” Bhatia said. “I got up and down when I needed to.”
Kurt Kitayama tied the TPC Twin Cities course record with 60 to top the group one shot back at 17 under. He’s joined by Jake Knapp (67), Sam Stevens (66) and Japan’s Takumi Kanaya (65).
Chris Gotterup (65), aiming for his second victory in three weeks, Pierceson Coody (67) and Sweden’s Alex Noren (65) are at 16 under. William Mouw (66) and Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (63) are at 15 under.
“I’m really just trying to ride out this week and see what comes with it,” Gotterup said.”
Fifteen golfers are within four shots of the top spot. The leaderboard was so packed that five golfers were tied for the lead by late in the afternoon.
Bhatia said the upgrade in putting has been crucial. He also had it going before reaching the green, with a chip-in for birdie on No. 11.
Now he’s looking for the right finishing tough in the final round.
“I haven’t played nearly as good as I wanted to,” Bhatia said. “I know I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed.”
Olesen, with three birdies across a four-hole stretch on the back nine, had a chance to take the solo lead, but missed a birdie attempt from 10 1/2 feet on the final hole.
The ace was delightful.
“A big bonus to see it go in,” Olesen said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had one.”
Kitayama played the last eight holes in 4 under even with a bogey on the par-3 17th hole — his only bogey of the round.
Kitayama rose from eight strokes back of the lead at the beginning of the day into the lead for much of the day until golfers who began the round near the top got deeper into their rounds.
“I don’t think you really have a number going out into any round, just kind of take what you can get,” he said.
Kitayama, with 28 on the front side, became the second golfer in the tournament to post 60 this week. Canada’s Adam Svensson did it in the first round, though followed that with rounds of 75 and 68 and goes into the final round at 10 under.
Gotterup is back in contention for the third consecutive tournament after winning the Genesis Scottish Open and bidding to win the Open Championship.
“It has been fun,” Gotterup said, “and more people watching.”
Amateur Michael La Sasso, this year’s NCAA individual champion for Mississippi, shot 63 on Saturday to move to 13 under for the tournament.
–Field Level Media
