Akshay Bhatia surged into contention on “moving day” at the Cadillac Championship, firing a 5-under 67 to climb into the top 10 at Trump National Doral.

The 24-year-old jumped 18 places—from tied 26th to tied eighth—moving to 7-under for the week and putting himself firmly in the mix heading into the final round.

Bhatia’s round was built on early momentum, with birdies on the 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th. The highlight came at the par-5 12th, where he holed out for an eagle to briefly reach 6-under for the day. A dropped shot later slowed his charge slightly, but the overall performance underlined his aggressive yet controlled approach.

“It was one of those days where things clicked,” Bhatia said. “I stayed patient and took my chances when they came.”

At the top, Cameron Young maintained control with a steady 2-under 70 to reach 15-under, holding a commanding six-shot lead.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler remains the closest challenger at 9-under after a 3-under 69, alongside Si Woo Kim and Kristoffer Reitan.

Among other Indian-origin players, Sudarshan Yellamaraju slipped to tied 37th after a 75, while Sahith Theegala dropped to tied 63rd following a 74.

What it means: Bhatia’s move into the top 10 keeps him in contention for another strong finish in what has already been a breakout season.

What’s next: With weather potentially playing a role, the final round could bring volatility—but Bhatia now has a real shot at pushing even higher up the leaderboard.

Photo – PGAT