Mexican Open – Novak Leads By Three Heading To Weekend Rounds

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MEXICAN OPEN – LEADERBOARD & NOTES

Andre Novak was one of several players to eagle the par-4 13th hole, which played at just 296 yards on Friday. He drove the green and converted a 12-foot eagle putt, then seized the lead from Ben Griffin with three long birdie putts.

Novak drained a 17 1/2-footer at the par-3 15th, a 16 1/2-footer at No. 16 and a 21-footer at No. 18. Not too shabby for a player who has consistently ranked near the bottom of the PGA Tour in putting.

The 31-year-old said he has been using an old putter this fall after cycling through several newer options.

“I got very frustrated with that, every single week being told that there’s nothing wrong with my putting and then just being dead last,” said Novak, whose lone PGA Tour win came alongside Griffin at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event in 2025.

“So went in the closet and dug out a putter that I used for a long time back in the day. It’s rusted out, it’s old, but I know it works. I don’t know loft on it, I don’t know the lie on it, but for the last four tournaments I’ve done pretty well making putts. So I think maybe I was just overthinking some things and yeah, I’ve just gone back to hitting putts.”

Weather: Mostly sunny. High of 87. Wind WSW 8-14 mph.

36-hole cut: 67 professionals and one amateur at 4-under 138 from a field of 116 professionals and four amateurs.

Second-Round Leaderboard – Andrew Novak (1st/-14)

  • Records a second-round 10-under 61, tying his career-low score on Tour (61/R1/2025 RSM Classic)

  • 61 matches the VidantaWorld Mexico Open 18-hole scoring record (Jon Rahm/R3/2023, Aldrich Potgieter/R2/2025)

  • His 128 marks second-lowest 36-hole score on TOUR (low: 126/2025 RSM Classic)

  • Holds second career 36-hole lead; 0-for-1 to date (2025 RSM Classic/finished T7)

  • Making fourth start at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, highlighted by a top-10 in most recent start (T8/2024, T49/2023, T15/2022)

  • Leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (7.804)

  • Has three top-10 finishes in 26 starts this season, highlighted by a pair of T7 finishes (Wyndham Championship, The Sentry)

  • Entered the week at No. 89 in the FedExCup Fall standings; projected to climb to No. 53 with a win

    • Nos. 51-60 in the final FedExCup Fall standings earn spots in the 2027 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 2027 Genesis Invitational

  • Lone PGA Tour title came at the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Ben Griffin

  • Fifth-year PGA Tour member is exempt on Tour through the 2027 season via his win last year

 Second-Round Notes

  • Making his tournament debut, Matthieu Pavon (T2/-11) leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee To Green (7.444) and ranks fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (3.847); seeks first top-10 in 24th start of the season (best: T11/Valspar Championship)

  • Playing on a sponsor exemption, BYU sophomore Kihei Akina posts opening rounds of 67-64—131 and sits T2, the best 36-hole position by an amateur on Tour this season (previous:  T7/John Daly II at the Puerto Rico Open); has made the cut in all five starts this season, highlighted by a solo-ninth finish at the Bank of Utah Championship; earns one point in PGA Tour University Accelerated with his made cut this week, bringing his total to 12 points

  • Adrien Dumont de Chassart (T2/-11) matches his low 36-hole score on Tour (131/2026 Sony Open in Hawaii/finished T24)

  • Making third appearance in the VidantaWorld Mexico Open (T4/2025, MC/2022), three-time PGA Tour winner Ben Griffin (T2/-11) has recorded scores of 67 or better in seven of eight rounds at Vidanta Vallarta; set to defend his third PGA Tour title at next week’s World Wide Technology in Los Cabos, Mexico

  • PGA Tour rookie Kensei Hirata (T2/-11) is the only player bogey free through 36 holes; at No. 170 in the FedExCup Fall standings, owns nine made cuts and two top-25s in 23 starts (best: T19/THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson)

  • Of the six Mexican players in the field, Guadalajara native Alvaro Ortiz (T11/-9) is the only to make the cut; Ortiz secured 2027 PGA Tour membership by finishing No. 5 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List; making his fifth consecutive start in the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, highlighted by a T13 finish in 2024, his best finish in 12 career PGA Tour starts

  • In his attempt to become the first back-to-back winner in VidantaWorld Mexico Open history, Brian Campbell sits T26 (-7)

  • After a first-round 62, 18-hole leader Karl Vilips follows with a 3-over 74 and stands T34 (-6)

World No. 5 Wyndham Clark and 2023 VidantaWorld Mexico Open winner Tony Finau miss the cut



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