Andrew Novak bounced back from seeing his six-shot lead halved with three straight birdies to card a two-under 69 and win the Mexico Open by five shots, claiming his first individual PGA Tour title. Novak staked himself to a big lead with rounds of 61-62 the previous two days, and it was going to take something special to track him down. But with a soft bogey on the 10th hole, his lead was down to three over Steven Fisk and Mexico-born Norwegian Kristoffer Ventura.
And then it was effectively over. Novak hit a greenside bunker shot to four feet on the par-5 12th at Vidanta Vallarta, drove the 13th green to 15 feet for a two-putt birdie, and he ended his decisive run with a 45-foot birdie putt on the 14th. "That kind of really settled everything," Novak said.
"Just happy with how I played today. I thought I grinded it out pretty well." Fisk and Ventura each closed with a 63, and it was particularly meaningful for Ventura. He was at No. 108 in the FedEx Cup Fall, knowing only the top 100 keep full cards for 2027.
The runner-up finish, his best as an individual, moved him to No. 76 and locked up his card. Mackenzie Hughes of Canada shot 66 and wound up in a tie for fourth when Doug Ghim, playing in the final group, made double bogey on the 18th hole. Hughes moved up to No. 101, a manageable spot with three tournaments remaining.
"Gives me a bit of momentum for the last three," Hughes said. "Obviously, I still know I need more points and I need to keep climbing, but today was a big step in the right direction." Hughes tied for fourth with Ben Griffin, who was Novak's partner when they won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last year. Griffin (67) was waiting on the 18th green when Novak finished.
"I loved Zurich and everything about that tournament. That's so fun," Novak said. "But it is nice to have one by myself, too.
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