Akshay Bhatia has a superb opportunity to secure a third PGA Tour win at the 3M Open, with an eight under par round of 63 on Saturday moving him into a tie for the lead at TPC Twin Cities.
Trying to pick a winner ahead of the final round of the 3M Open looks incredibly difficult. Those tied for 16th are only five shots back of the leaders, Akshay Bhatia and Thorbjorn Olesen.
Obviously, Kurt Kitayama posted the round of the day in Minneapolis as he came agonisingly close to shooting a 59. But Bhatia also produced an outstanding display in the third round, as he posted the joint-second lowest score.
The 23-year-old made nine birdies on his way to moving into top spot on the leaderboard. A victory this week would likely move Bhatia into the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings as the playoffs loom.
Akshay Bhatia lauds TPC Twin Cities as he takes a share of the lead at the 3M Open
Interestingly, it seems that Bhatia is not entirely convinced that TPC Twin Cities is a course that really suits his eye.
Nevertheless, he claimed that there is one part of the golf course which is as impressive as anything you will see on the schedule.
“Yeah, the greens are as good as any golf tournament we play,” he said.
“I would say for me it doesn’t set up particularly great. I mean, I feel like half the shots I’m aiming either out of bounds or in the water, and a lot of holes shape left to right, which I hit it right to left.
“All in all, it’s a great test. There’s a lot of really, really good driving holes. The par threes are really, really solid. Just gives you a lot of opportunity to make a lot of birdies, but you’ve also got to kind of play to spots, which I think is what makes a really good golf course.”
Akshay Bhatia gets realistic about his Ryder Cup hopes
Bhatia previously appeared to be one of the players who had a real chance of making his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage. He went into 2025 having won in each of the previous two years on the PGA Tour.
His talent is undeniable. Bhatia was tipped as a dark horse to win the US Open. However, Bhatia has been struggling with his game in recent months. With that, he finds himself in 24th place in the qualification standings for the Ryder Cup.
And he admitted after his third round that he is not particularly optimistic about his chances of receiving the call from the captain.
“I think I’m on the far outside looking in at this point. Look, if I play great these next couple weeks, then maybe I’ll have an outside chance,” he added.
“But all in all, you know, regardless if I make the team or not, I just really want us to succeed this year. I think it’s a big Ryder Cup and I know Keegan’s got a lot on his plate, obviously a potential player, so I just hope the best for them.”
A win this week would certainly do his cause no harm whatsoever. And there is perhaps reason for his rivals to worry if the tournament goes down to the wire, with both of Bhatia’s victories so far coming after a playoff.
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