BLAINE, MN – In Minnesota at the 3M Open held at TPC Twin Cities, hopes were riding high for Akshay Bhatia as he entered the final round tied for the lead alongside Thorbjorn Olesen. The young prodigy, who turned professional in 2019 at just 17 and rapidly rose through the golf ranks, seemed poised to bounce back after a challenging year.

Akshay Bhatia had every reason to believe that the 2025 PGA Tour season would serve as yet another step in his strong and popular rise. Over the previous two years, the lanky North Carolinian, who skipped college and turned pro at the age of 17,