Novak Takes Commanding Six Shot Lead Into Final Round

Andrew Novak is closing in on a second PGA Tour title after producing another sensational performance to take a commanding six-shot lead into the final round of the 2026 Vidanta Mexico Open.

Novak, 31, has been virtually unstoppable following up his stunning 10-under-par 61 on Friday with an equally impressive 9-under 62 on Saturday

The American now sits at a record 23-under par, six shots clear of his nearest challenger in Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and with just 18 holes remaining in Vallarta, Mexico.

Having moved three shots clear after Friday’s second round, Novak has managed to double that advantage with another remarkable display of scoring as he seeks a second individual win of his career.

Vidanta Mexico Open – Third-Round Leaderboard

Andrew Novak (1st/-23)

  • Seeks second PGA Tour victory and first individual title in 140th start (2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Ben Griffin)

  • A day after matching the VidantaWorld Mexico Open 18-hole scoring record with a 61, records a third-round bogey-free 62

  • Six strokes mark the largest 54-hole lead at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open (previous: 4/Jake Knapp/2024/won by 2)

  • Matches largest 54-hole lead on Tour this season; all four players have converted to victory

    • Justin Rose (Farmers Insurance Open, won by 2)

    • Jacob Bridgeman (The Genesis Invitational, won by 1)

    • Cameron Young (Cadillac Championship, won by 6)

    • Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open, won by 1)

  • Records the lowest 54-hole score at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open with a 23-under 190 (previous: 193/Aldrich Potgieter/2025)

  • 190 marks his lowest 54-hole score on TOUR (previous: 196/2025 RSM Classic/finished T7)

  • Holds second career 54-hole lead; 0-for-1 to date (2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship/finished 2nd)

  • Would become the third consecutive American winner of the event (Tony Finau/2023, Jake Knapp/2024, Brian Campbell/2025)

  • 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 (12.328) and is 37-for-37 on putts inside 10 feet through three rounds

    • Entered the week ranked 158th among all Tour players in Strokes Gained: Putting (-0.492 average)

  • 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

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

 Third-Round Notes

  • Making his tournament debut, France’s Matthieu Pavon (2nd/-17) seeks his second PGA Tour victory in his 77th start (2024 Sentry) and to become the event’s second international winner (Jon Rahm/Spain/2022); has not finished inside the top-10 in 23 prior starts this season (best: T11/Valspar Championship)

  • Seeking his first PGA Tour victory in his 194th career start, Doug Ghim (3rd/-16) has finished inside the top 20 in his last five starts on Tour (best: 2nd/2026 Bank of Utah Championship); 30-year-old entered the week at No. 56 in the FedExCup Fall standings

  • Max Greyserman (T4/-15) owns five runner-up finishes since joining the Tour in 2024, most by any player without a win in that span

  • In his third appearance in the VidantaWorld Mexico Open (T4/2025, MC/2022), three-time PGA Tour winner Ben Griffin (T4/-15) has recorded scores of 67 or better in eight of nine rounds at Vidanta Vallarta; set to defend his third PGA Tour title at next week’s World Wide Technology in Los Cabos, Mexico

  • Brian Campbell (T9/-13) cards a third-round 65 as he seeks to become the first back-to-back winner in VidantaWorld Mexico Open history; best finish in 23 starts this season is T24 at the Masters Tournament

  • Guadalajara native Alvaro Ortiz sits T26 (-9) following a third-round 71; making his fifth consecutive start at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, highlighted by a T13 finish in 2024, his best finish in 12 career PGA Tour starts



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *