Kitayama’s heartbreak becomes Bhatia and Olesen’s golden opportunity as the 3M Open heads into a final round that could change careers

Kurt Kitayama was thisclose to joining golf’s elite 59 club on Saturday at TPC Twin Cities. After ripping off 11 birdies through 16 holes, the magic number was right there for the taking. All he needed was par-birdie on the final two holes, with the 18th being a reachable par 5.

Then reality hit. A wayward tee shot into the bunker on the par-3 17th killed the dream, and despite his best efforts to hole out a wedge for eagle on 18, Kitayama had to settle for a 60 that tied the course record. Still an incredible round – he gained 4.4 strokes on the field with his irons alone – but you know that missed 59 is going to sting.

Bhatia and Olesen Battle for the Lead

While everyone was watching Kitayama chase history, Akshay Bhatia quietly fired a 63 to grab a share of the lead at 18-under. The young gun used a hot putter and two scoring flurries – four straight birdies early, then five more on the back nine – to surge up the leaderboard.

Thorbjørn Olesen, the 36-hole leader, had a shakier day but managed to stay tied for the top spot. After five straight pars to start his round, he bounced back with a hole-in-one on the 8th using a 6-iron. A bogey on 9 dropped him back, but two more birdies kept him in the hunt for his first PGA Tour win.

Loaded Leaderboard Behind the Leaders

The first page is absolutely stacked heading into Sunday. Kitayama sits just one back at 17-under alongside Takumi Kanaya, Sam Stevens, and Jake Knapp. That’s a lot of firepower within striking distance on a course that’s been giving up birdies all week.

Chris Gotterup and Alex Noren are lurking at 16-under, with Wyndham Clark and several others at 14-under. With scores this low, nobody’s safe – it’s going to take aggressive play and nerves of steel to close this thing out.

What’s at Stake Sunday

For Bhatia, this would be his third win in three straight years, cementing his status as one of the tour’s rising stars. For Olesen, it’s about so much more than just a trophy – a win would secure his tour status for 2026 and guarantee him a playoff spot.

The final pairing of Bhatia and Olesen will have their hands full, not just with each other but with guys like Kitayama who proved they can go nuclear on any given day. On a course yielding this many low scores, playing it safe probably won’t cut it.

Bottom Line

After Kitayama’s near-perfect round and all the weekend fireworks, Sunday’s shaping up to be an absolute shootout. With this many players bunched at the top and birdies flying everywhere, we could be in for one of those wild finishes where every shot matters and nobody’s lead is safe until the final putt drops.