3M Open leaderboard, highlights: Akshay Bhatia, Thorbjorn Olesen share lead after 3 rounds

Moving Day at the 2025 3M Open saw loads of birdies and a host of low scores, and it's anyone's ball game headed into Sunday's final round.

Akshay Bhatia and 36-hole lead Thorbjorn Olesen sit tied atop the leaderboard at 18 under, one stroke clear of a four-way tie for second. In total, there are 15 players within four shots of the lead.

Read below for updates, scores, highlights and more from Saturday's third round of the 2025 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.

3M Open leaderboard

Keep tabs on every score being carded in Minnesota with our 2025 3M Open leaderboard from USA TODAY Sports. Here's what it looked like at the top after Saturday's third round:

Thorbjorn Olesen and Akshay Bhatia share the lead after the third round at the 3M Open

Thorbjorn Olesen and Akshay Bhatia will play together in the final round of the 2025 3M Open, and they'll start the day locked up at the top of the leaderboard at 18 under.

Behind them will be a host of players looking to capture a win as well, including a four-way tie for second between Takumi Kanaya, Sam Stevens, Jake Knapp and Kurt Kitayama, who shot 60 on Saturday.

If Sunday's winner is a first-timer, he will be the 1000th unique winner in the history of the PGA Tour. Olesen, Kanaya and Stevens figure to be the best candidates to join that club.

Meanwhile, Bhatia will be seeking the third win of his PGA Tour career. The 23-year-old LA native earned his first victory at the 2023 Barracuda Championship before winning the Valero Texas Open a year ago. He's in prime position to secure another one and make a strong case for a potential spot on the Ryder Cup team.

Akshay Bhatia of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the third round of the 3M Open 2025 at TPC Twin Cities on July 26, 2025 in Blaine, Minnesota.

With next week being the final regular season event on the PGA Tour, the 300 FedEx Cup points awarded to the winner of the 3M Open would go a long way for several players in contention, including co-leader Olesen, who entered the week 129th in the standings.

Only the top 70 make the playoffs this season, unlike in previous years where it was top 100.

Akshay Bhatia fires 63 to take clubhouse lead late Saturday at the 3M Open

Akshay Bhatia is in prime position to nab the third win of his young PGA Tour career at the 3M Open in Minnesota.

He shot 8-under 63 on Saturday, kickstarted by a stretch of four consecutive birdies on Nos. 3 through 6. He took the solo lead just after 5 p.m. at 18 under, one shot clear of a four-way tie for second.

There's a five-way tie for the lead at the 3M Open

Kurt Kitayama, Akshay Bhatia, Chris Gotterup, Sam Stevens and Thorbjorn Olesen are all tied at 17 under as of 5 p.m. ET Saturday at the 2025 3M Open.

Right behind them is a three-way tie for sixth at 16 under between Alex Noren, Takumi Kanaya and Pierceson Coody.

Chris Gotterup is rolling again at the 3M Open

Chris Gotterup might just be the hottest player on the planet right now.

Okay, it's probably still World No. 1 and Champion Golfer of the Year Scottie Scheffler, but Gotterup certainly has a case.

He broke through for his first win at the Genesis Scottish Open two weeks ago before nabbing a solo third finish at the Open Championship last weekend. Now, he's right in the mix again after another birdie at the par-5 12th got him to 6 under for the day and 16 under for the tournament, just one shot behind the clubhouse leader, Kurt Kitayama.

In the past 20 days, Gotterup has doubled his career earnings and jumped more than 100 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking. Could he be in line for yet another win in Minnesota? Things are trending that direction.

Reminder: Max Homa might have to leave at a moment's notice

Max Homa is searching for his seventh career Tour win so he can go home to Arizona to be with his wife and help with his young son, Cam. But the harsh reality is that only the top 70 qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs and he’s currently on the outside looking in. Which means he’ll likely be across the country next week in Greensboro, N.C., at the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season event.

“My wife told me to play,” said Homa. “Yeah, just every day I finish a day of golf, I look at my phone and see if I'm flying home, so, we'll see. It's a good problem to have.”

Max Homa walks on the sixth green during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament.

At last week’s event, he shared that he had checked his phone and found two missed calls from his wife and nearly lost his mind. He's 10 under after three rounds at the 3M Open and while he could still make a run to a title, it's more likely he'll finish high and be forced back on the road.

"Fortunately, my game's felt awesome the last month or so, so yeah, just got to, I don't know, I don't know how you just make yourself win. I'm just trying to keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens on a Sunday," he said.

“Dude, I'm freaking out. I'm ready to have the baby and then get settled,” Homa said last week. “I know it'll be chaos, but I want to make sure I'm there.”

Thorbjorn Olesen sinks hole-in-one to tie for the lead

The 36-hole leader is back in a share of the lead.

What a shot here from Thorbjorn Olesen on the 209-yard par-4 eighth. The ace gets him to 17 under for the day, tied with clubhouse leader Kurt Kitayama.

Ian Baker-Finch gets tearful and it's not his last broadcast

Ian Baker-Finch, the winner of the 1991 Open Championship and 17-time winner worldwide, will retire from CBS Sports' golf team following the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina next week, the final event of the PGA Tour regular season. He'll hang up the headset after spending 19 years with CBS Sports and 30 years calling golf in total.

Before CBS, Baker-Finch worked as an analyst for ABC, ESPN and TNT, among others.

But during Saturday's third round at the 3M, Jim Nantz and Trevor Immelman welcomed Baker-Finch into the booth for what Nantz called a "dry run." It wasn't dry for IBF.

Baker-Finch began his professional career on the Australian Tour in 1979, and has represented Australia in multiple International competitions. He served as Peter Thomson’s vice captain for the International Presidents Cup squad in 1996, and Gary Player's assistant captain for the 2003, 2005 and 2007 International Presidents Cup teams.

He also served as Captain of the Australian men’s and women’s golf teams in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Takumi Kanaya is off to a hot start Saturday at the 3M Open

Takumi Kanaya made birdie on each of the first three holes to start his third round at the 2025 3M Open.

He entered the day at 11 under, three shots behind 36-hole leader Thorbjorn Olesen. As of 3:15 p.m. ET, he's 5 under through eight holes and just one stroke off the lead, held by Kurt Kitayama, who fired an 11-under 60 earlier.

Kanaya is making his 21st start of the season, having missed the cut in all but seven of them. He does, however, have a top-5 finish in 2025, which came at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson back in May.

Jesper Svensson cards 63 to jump into top 5

Jesper Svensson fired an 8-under 63 Saturday to join a tie for second with Takumi Kanaya at 15 under as of 2:30 p.m. ET.

Svensson made nine birdies to go along with one bogey in a round that vaulted him 30 spots ahead on the leaderboard from where he started the day. The 29-year-old Swede is making just his 23rd start on the PGA Tour as he seeks his first win. He's made all but five cuts in 19 events played this season and has one top 10 to his name, which came at the very first tournament of the season, the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Kurt Kitayama fires 60 with a bogey to take the lead at the 3M Open

After posting a 28 on the outward nine, he spent the entire back nine on 59 watch, but a bogey at the par-3 17th dashed Kurt Kitayama's hopes of joining that prestigious club during Saturday's third round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.

Still, the 32-year-old California native fired an 11-under 60 and entered the clubhouse at 17 under for the tournament, three shots clear of the field as of 1:30 p.m. ET.

Amateur Michael La Sasso posts the season's lowest round by an amateur on the PGA Tour

In January 2024, Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson did so in 1991. In total, there have only been five amateur winners on Tour post-1950, but there could be a new name added to that list this weekend.

Michael La Sasso, the 21-year-old amateur from Raleigh, North Carolina, fired an 8-under 63 in Saturday's third round of the 2025 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities. He made eight birdies — six of which came on the back nine — in an outing void of bogeys, vaulting him into a tie for second, one off the lead just before noon ET.

Kurt Kitayama shoots 28 on the front nine, moves into a tie for second

Somebody cool this man off!

What a start for the 32-year-old Californian, who shot 28 (!) on the front nine Saturday at TPC Twin Cities. He did it the simple way, too. Seven birdies, two pars. Kitayama is now 9 under through 12 holes and has taken over the lead as of 12 p.m. ET.

Amateur Michael La Sasso shining on Saturday

Amateur Michael La Sasso is playing in his fifth PGA Tour event this year, and the 3M Open is the first in which he made the cut.

On May 28, he won the NCAA individual title at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California, capping his junior year in style. Two weeks later, he was on the East Coast teeing it up in his first U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, a perk that came with his win at the NCAA Championship.

Jul 24, 2025; Blaine, Minnesota, USA; Michael La Sasso looks on from the seventh hole during the first round of the 3M Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Now, La Sasso, a rising senior at Ole Miss and the eighth-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is shining in Minnesota. He was 6 under through his first 14 holes in the third round, including birdies on four of the first five holes on the back nine.

He'll be one of the favorites at the 2025 U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in August before representing the U.S. in the Walker Cup in September, where last week he was named one of the first three selections to the 10-man team.

Early players Young, Kitayama are going low

As of 10:30 a.m. ET players are having their way with the golf course. Carson Young is 6 under through 10 holes and has moved to just three shots off the lead, while Kurt Kitayama started with birdies on five of the first six holes to also get to 11 under par.

What's the weather forecast for Saturday at the 3M Open?

Hot and humid is the name of the game this week in the Minneapolis metro. Saturday's forecast calls for sunny conditions with a high of 88 degrees and the heat index climbing into the upper 90s by late afternoon. Light winds at 5-10 mph from the south are expected.

Vegas throws first pitch at Twins game

Reigning 3M champ Jhonattan Vegas made the cut on Friday and has already teed off on Saturday, but he had some extra duties prior to Friday's Minnesota Twins game.

Notable golfers who missed the cut at the 2025 3M Open

The PGA Tour cut rule states that the low 65 and ties after 36 holes advance to the weekend. The cut came in at 5 under. Some notable names who didn't make the weekend include:

• Tony Finau (4 over)
• Sungjae Im (Even)
• Si Woo Kim (2 under)
• Sahith Theegala (2 under)
• Webb Simpson (3 under)
• Keith Mitchell (3 under)
• Max Greyserman (3 under)

What is the prize money at the 2025 3M Open?

The total purse is $8.4 million and the winner will take home $1.512 million as well as 300 FedEx Cup points and a two-year PGA Tour exemption.

Where to watch the 2025 3M Open?

• 8 a.m.-6 p.m., PGA Tour Live on ESPN+
• 1-6 p.m., SiriusXM PGA Tour radio
• 1-3 p.m., Golf Channel, NBC Sports app
• 3-6 p.m., CBS, Paramount+

Hole locations for the third round of the 3M Open

Here's where the holes are at TPC Twin Cities on Saturday:

When was the first 3M Open?

The PGA Tour held the first 3M Open in 2019 about a year after announcing the launch of the event. Previously, TPC Twin Cities host the PGA Tour Champions 3M Championship from 1993 to 2018.

Who are all the winners of the 3M Open?

Jhonattan Vegas, the 3M Open's defending champion, is back at TPC Twin Cities, aiming to defend his crown. He's not the only past champ in the field as Lee Hodges (2023), Tony Finau (2022) and Cameron Champ (2021) are also set to play. Michael Thompson (2020) and Matthew Woff (2019) are the tournament winners not in the field.