Olesen shares 3M Open lead after ace

Thorbjørn Olesen continued his run of form at the PGA Tour’s 3M Open with a spectacular hole-in-one on Saturday, vaulting into a share of the lead at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota.

After opening with a blistering 62 and following it with a 66 on Friday, the 35-year-old Dane appeared to be stalling during the third round, managing just one birdie through his first seven holes.

Then came the par-three 8th.

Standing on the 209-yard hole, Olesen struck a soft 6-iron that landed gently and tracked straight to the flag before dropping in for the first ace of the tournament – and his first in PGA Tour competition.

“We were between 7-iron and 6-iron,” Olesen said. “It just felt like I couldn’t get there with a 7, so we went for a soft 6-iron. It took the slope perfectly – a big bonus to see it go in. It’s been a long time since I’ve had one, so that was nice.”

IT’S AN ACE

Thorbjørn Olesen makes a hole-in-one on No. 8 @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/UFen6zCcrT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 26, 2025

The ace reignited Olesen’s round, moving him to 17 under and into a tie with Kurt Kitayama, who carded an 11-under 60 to set the early pace.

Olesen, who came into the week ranked 129th in the FedExCup standings, now has renewed momentum heading into Sunday as he seeks his first PGA Tour title. A win would secure his Tour card for next season and push him into the top 70 to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs.

He signed for a third-round 67 and will play the final round tied at the top with Akshay Bhatia.

If his performance this week in Minnesota is anything to go by, Olesen’s season may be far from over.

South Africa’s Garrick Higgo was one of two compatriots to make the cut, carding a rollercoaster eight-under 70 that included four eagles, a bogey and a double-bogey.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout also advanced to the third round with a steady four-under 67, while fellow South Africans Erik van Rooyen and Thriston Lawrence missed the cut.

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Photo: David Berding/Getty Images

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