Novak shoots 61 with an old putter to lead Mexico Open by three

The putter Andrew Novak used for his 61 at Vidanta Vallarta on Friday came out of a cupboard at home. “It’s rusted out, it’s old, but I know it works,” he said, adding that he does not know its loft or lie. He has gained 7.804 strokes on the field with his putting over two rounds, the most of anyone this week, and leads the VidantaWorld Mexico Open by three at 14 under.

The 10-under round matched the tournament’s 18-hole record and his own lowest score on the PGA TOUR. He drove the green at the 13th, a par 3 last year, and holed from 12 feet for eagle. Two holes later he holed from just outside 15 feet for the first of three birdies in the last four holes, while Ben Griffin, in the same group, found water off the tee and made bogey. The last of them came from about 20 feet at the 18th.

Novak had been through months of putter changes and machine testing that told him his stroke was fine. “I was just truly one of the worst putters in the world for – well, on the PGA Tour – for about eight months,” he said.

His win with Griffin at the 2025 Zurich Classic exempts him until the end of 2027. He started the week 89th in the FedExCup Fall standings. A win would take him to a projected 53rd, inside the 51st-to-60th band, which earns places in the 2027 Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational.

Pos	Player	To par	R1	R2
1	Andrew Novak	−14	67	61
T2	Matthieu Pavon	−11	65	66
T2	Kihei Akina (a)	−11	67	64
T2	Adrien Dumont de Chassart	−11	64	67
T2	Ben Griffin	−11	64	67
T2	Kensei Hirata	−11	63	68
T7	Mackenzie Hughes	−10	65	67
T7	Max Greyserman	−10	65	67
T7	Gordon Sargent	−10	67	65
T7	Marco Penge	−10	64	68

Akina, an amateur, in the final group

Kihei Akina, a 20-year-old in his second year at Brigham Young University playing on a sponsor’s invitation, shot 64 and goes out with Novak and Pavon in Saturday’s final group. No amateur has been higher after 36 holes on the PGA TOUR this season. He has made the cut in all five of his PGA TOUR starts this year and finished ninth at the Bank of Utah Championship.

Hirata, Griffin and Pavon

Hirata, a rookie, is the only player in the field without a bogey after two rounds. Griffin has now shot 67 or better in seven of his eight rounds at Vidanta Vallarta. Pavon leads the field in strokes gained: tee to green.

Vilips falls back; Ortiz the last Mexican

Karl Vilips, the first-round leader after a 62, shot 74 and is tied 34th at six under, eight behind. Alvaro Ortiz made a double bogey at the 18th for a 68 but is tied 11th at nine under, and is the only one of the six Mexicans in the field to make the cut.

Kim and Campbell penalised for wrong balls

Tom Kim and Brian Campbell, grouped together for the second day, both played the wrong ball from the same greenside bunker at the par-5 18th, according to GolfMagic. Each was penalised two strokes under Rule 6.3c(1), made a six and signed for a 68. They are seven behind at seven under and play together again on Saturday.

The cut

The cut fell at four under, and 68 players made it. Tony Finau missed by one shot after failing to hole a six-foot birdie putt on his last hole. Wyndham Clark, the only player from the world top 10 in the field, shot 73 and missed the cut.

Saturday’s tee times (GMT)

Selected groups, all off the 1st tee. Vallarta is six hours behind GMT.

GMT	Local	Players
15:50	09:50	Max McGreevy, Rafael Campos, Karl Vilips
16:12	10:12	Tom Kim, Brian Campbell, Harry Hall
17:07	11:07	Garrick Higgo, Alvaro Ortiz, Luke Clanton
17:29	11:29	Mackenzie Hughes, Max Greyserman, Gordon Sargent
17:40	11:40	Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Ben Griffin, Kensei Hirata
17:51	11:51	Andrew Novak, Matthieu Pavon, Kihei Akina (a)

Golf Channel’s live coverage in the US starts at 20:00 GMT.

Sources

• PGA TOUR: Andrew Novak matches course record, takes three-shot lead at VidantaWorld Mexico Open
• PGA TOUR: Official leaderboard, VidantaWorld Mexico Open
• Athlon Sports: Andrew Novak’s old putter delivers a 61 and Mexico Open lead
• GolfMagic: PGA Tour stars hit with penalties after wrong golf ball blunder at Mexico Open
• GolfMagic: Mexico Open round 3 tee times
• Golf Channel: How to watch round 3 of the 2026 Mexico Open
• ESPN: VidantaWorld Mexico Open leaderboard