Akshay Bhatia Drops to Tied 16th After Third Round at Truist Championship

Flourtown, USA – May 11, 2025 – Akshay Bhatia slipped from the top-five to a tie for 16th place following the third round of the Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course. Despite a solid start to the tournament with rounds of 63 and 70, Bhatia shot a 71 in the challenging, blustery conditions on Saturday. His total score is now 6-under par.

Austrian golfer Sepp Straka and Irishman Shane Lowry share the lead heading into the final round. Straka shot an impressive 4-under 66, while Lowry carded a 67. Straka, who started the day two strokes behind, offset his only bogey with five birdies, including two crucial birdies in the final four holes. He capped off his round with a clutch par putt from 16.5 feet at the 18th hole, bringing his total score to 14-under par.

Lowry, who moved into a tie for the lead with Straka, matched his birdie on the 17th hole, a downwind par-4, and will be paired with the 32-year-old Austrian in the final round of this prestigious PGA TOUR event.

Other Notable Performances​

• Aaron Rai (71) is tied for 38th place.
• Sahith Theegala struggled, shooting an 8-over 78 and sits in 70th place.

Bhatia's round included two early birdies in the first three holes, followed by a bogey-birdie sequence on holes four and five. However, a hat-trick of bogeys from the seventh to the ninth hole left him at 1-over for the front nine. Despite birdies on the 12th, 14th, and 15th holes, he bogeyed the 13th, 17th, and 18th, leaving him with a disappointing round.

The Race for the Lead​

Keith Mitchell, the leader after the first two rounds, shot 1-over 71 and now shares 11-under par with Justin Thomas. Thomas made a significant charge up the leaderboard, despite bogeys on two par-5 holes, with a solid 67 that included birdies on three of the final four holes on the front nine, plus back-to-back birdies on the back nine.

Hideki Matsuyama carded the best round of the day with a 63, leaving him one stroke behind the leaders at 13-under.

Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, made a strong start but faltered with consecutive bogeys after a three-birdie run. Despite hitting only three of 14 fairways, McIlroy finished the day with a 69 and is 8-under, five strokes behind the leaders. He will be looking to improve in the final round in his bid to claim his first individual win since completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters last month.

Final Round Outlook​

The Truist Championship is shaping up for a thrilling final round, with Straka and Lowry in the lead, while several other golfers like Thomas and Matsuyama remain in contention. The tournament will culminate on Sunday, with a focus on Straka and Lowry as they aim for victory.