Olesen shoots 67, shares 3M lead with Bhatia

BLAINE, Minn. — Thorbjorn Olesen aced the par-3 eighth and shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday within the 3M Open for a share of the third-round lead with Akshay Bhatia.

Olesen, the 35-year-old Danish participant who led after the second spherical, used a 6-iron on the 209-yard eighth on the TPC Twin Cities.

“It was a again pin. It simply felt like I could not get there with a 7, so we went for a delicate 6-iron,” Olesen stated. “Clearly, took the slope completely, an enormous bonus to see it go in. It has been a very long time since I’ve had one.”

Bhatia had a 63 to submit first at 18-under 195.

“I chipped in twice, made a variety of putts,” Bhatia stated. “Loads of putts lipped in, which was very nice to see. All in all, only a fairly stable spherical. Felt like I did a reasonably good job of enjoying out of the tough as we speak. I did not hit it significantly nice off the tee, however fortunately greens are delicate sufficient to the place you’ll be able to form of do this.”

Kurt Kitayama matched the event and course document with a 60, ending earlier than Olesen and Jake Knapp teed off within the ultimate group, to get to 17 below. Fellow Japanese participant Takumi Kanaya (65) additionally was 17 below with Knapp (67) and Sam Stevens (66).

Olesen adopted the hole-in-one with a bogey on No. 9. On the again 9, he birdied Nos. 13-14, three-putted the fifteenth for bogey, birdied the brief par-4 sixteenth and parred the ultimate two. The eight-time European tour winner is chasing first PGA Tour title.

“It is clearly completely different and it is a large alternative,” Olesen stated. “I am not going to lie, there’s going to be a variety of stress, however I felt like in my profession I’ve dealt fairly properly with stress. Clearly, the wins on the DP World Tour, however Ryder Cups, additionally.”

Bhatia, the 23-year-old California participant with two PGA Tour victories, chipped in from 42 toes for birdie on the fifth and from 55 toes for one more birdie on 11.

“I am simply attempting to play stable golf and hopefully the playing cards fall my approach tomorrow,” Bhatia stated.

Kitayama matched the event mark set by Adam Svensson within the first spherical. Paul Goydos additionally has a share of the course document, capturing 60 within the 2017 3M Championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

Kitayama had 12 birdies and a bogey. He performed the entrance 9 in 7-under 28.

“I used to be simply form of going on the market,” Kitayama stated. “I do not assume you actually have a quantity going out into any spherical, simply form of take what you may get.”

Knapp dropped a stroke on the seventeenth for his lone bogey of the week

NCAA winner Michael La Sasso of Mississippi was tied for sixteenth at 13 below after a 63. The beginner missed the lower final week within the Barracuda Championship.