Blaine (USA), July 26 (IANS) Rising American star Jackson Koivun fired a tournament-record 10-under 61 to surge into the outright lead after the third round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, putting himself in prime position to secure his maiden PGA Tour title.

The 21-year-old, who only turned professional after the U.S. Open last month, moved to 20-under par with rounds of 64, 68 and 61, opening up a three-shot advantage heading into Sunday’s final round.

Koivun’s spectacular round featured six birdies and two eagles, with his charge gathering pace on the inward nine. He played the back nine in eight-under 28, setting a new tournament record for the closing stretch. Four of his six birdies, along with both eagles, came after the turn.

The American has enjoyed a rapid rise in recent months following an outstanding collegiate career at Auburn, where he was the world’s top-ranked amateur. The 3M Open marks his 13th PGA Tour start and just his third as a professional. After missing the cut in his professional debut at the John Deere Classic, Koivun responded with a tied-10th finish at the ISCO Championship and now finds himself on the verge of a breakthrough victory.

Ben Kohles and Emiliano Grillo remain Koivun’s closest challengers at 17-under par, three shots off the pace. Both players carded five-under 66s in the third round to retain their share of second place. Kohles followed earlier rounds of 62 and 69, while Grillo added a 66 to previous scores of 64 and 67.

Michael Kim, who grabbed the headlines on Friday with a remarkable 12-under 59, only the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history—could not maintain the same momentum. A third-round one-under 70 dropped him into a tie for sixth at 15-under, five strokes behind Koivun. Kim mixed two birdies with a lone bogey during his round.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler mounted one of the day’s strongest charges, carding a seven-under 64 to climb into a tie for ninth at 14-under. Scheffler caught fire on the back nine, playing it in seven-under 29, with his round featuring seven birdies, one eagle and two bogeys.

From an Indian perspective, it was a quiet week as Indian-origin golfer Sudarshan Yellamaraju missed the cut, while Hero-supported trio Sahith Theegala, Aaron Rai and Akshay Bhatia opted to skip the event.

With a three-shot cushion and confidence soaring after a record-breaking display, Koivun heads into the final round as the player to beat as he seeks the first PGA Tour title of his promising career.

–IANS

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