Andrew Novak Leads by Six Strokes After Three Rounds at the Mexico Open

Andrew Novak of the United States extended his lead to six strokes with a third-round 62, nine under par. Novak was five under through the first five holes of the back nine at Vidanta Vallarta and finished with the lowest score of the round, even though he was in the last group. He reached 23 under 190 across the three rounds and appears very close to his first individual title on the PGA Tour.

On the 12th hole, Novak hit a 279-yard shot that left him 20 feet from the pin, and he made the eagle. Losing his grip while swinging the club was the biggest mistake of the round. On the 14th, he was well below his feet in the rough but still hit to six feet and made birdie.

Novak said he played much the same way in both rounds and was a bit scattered toward the finish. In his view, the putter saved his score. He holed a six-foot par putt on the 16th and a 10-foot par putt on the 17th, after coming up short with his approach on the 17th.

Matthieu Pavon of France birdied his last two holes to shoot 65 and moved to within six strokes of Novak. Doug Ghim is one stroke further back after a 64. Ghim said that something significant would have to happen in the final round for him to put pressure on Novak.

Pavon is also playing well this week, but he needs an exceptional round to finish in the top three. The two-year exemption he earned by winning at Torrey Pines in 2024 expires this year. Pavon came into the tournament 140th in the FedEx Cup standings, and a second-place finish would move him into the top 100. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Kihei Akina recovered from a start of consecutive bogeys to shoot 68 and is in seventh place, nine strokes back. A top-10 finish would also earn him one more point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program.