Andrew Novak holds a commanding six-shot lead at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open after firing a 9-under 62 during Saturday’s third round. Sitting at 23-under 190 at Vidanta Vallarta, the American golfer is positioned to secure the first individual PGA Tour victory of his career.
Dominant Third Round at Vidanta Vallarta
Following a stellar 10-under 61 on Friday, Novak maintained his momentum by attacking the course from the start and expanding his advantage to five strokes through four holes. Although his chasers briefly narrowed the gap, Novak pulled away with a decisive surge on the back nine.
He birdied the 10th hole, eagled the par-5 12th following an impressive approach shot from 279 yards, and added consecutive birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to stretch his lead to seven strokes. Novak also maintained flawless putting form, converting all 36 putts he has attempted from inside 10 feet throughout the tournament.
Novak stated that he continued to attack the course, hit accurate shots, sink putts, and avoid self-inflicted mistakes. He previously won team titles at the 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Ben Griffin and the Grant Thornton Invitational with Lauren Coughlin, but acknowledged that securing a solo victory would be significant.
Chasing Pack and Tournament Storylines
Matthieu Pavon sits in second place at 17 under after shooting a 65 on Saturday, while Doug Ghim is alone in third at 16 under following a round of 64. Pierceson Coody, Max Greyserman, and Ben Griffin are tied for fourth place at 15 under.
Amateur player Kihei Akina, a 20-year-old BYU sophomore, shot a 68 on Saturday to tie for seventh place as he pursues a PGA Tour card via the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. Tom Kim and Brian Campbell are tied for ninth at 13 under after incurring two-stroke penalties on Friday.
Novak enters Sunday’s final round having played his previous two rounds in a combined 19 under par, accumulating only three bogeys across 54 holes and establishing the largest 54-hole lead in the tournament’s PGA Tour history near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
