Milestone watch: Andrew Novak's six-shot Mexico Open lead puts two tournament records in play

Andrew Novak shot 9-under 62 on Saturday at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, a day after his 61, and goes into the final round at 23-under 190 with a six-shot lead. Matthieu Pavon (65) is alone in second at 17 under. Doug Ghim (64) is seven back.

The round turned on the back nine. Novak played the first five holes after the turn in 5 under, including an eagle at the par-5 12th, where a 279-yard second shot stopped 20 feet from the hole. He briefly led by seven. Through 54 holes he has made three bogeys, according to the Associated Press.

All he needs Sunday is a solid round. But a closing round in the high 60s would put him in the Vidanta Vallarta record book too. Here is what is in reach.

1. His first individual PGA Tour win

Novak has won twice in team events, the 2025 Zurich Classic with Ben Griffin and the 2025 Grant Thornton Invitational with Lauren Coughlin. A solo title would be new. "It would be my first solo one, so that would be very big and then obviously there's implications for, what, 2028 and beyond. Yeah, it would be huge," he told reporters, per Golfweek. The winner gets $1.08 million from the $6 million purse and 500 FedEx Cup points.

2. The tournament scoring record

Tony Finau won here in 2023 at 24-under 260, the tournament record. Par is 71. A 70 on Sunday ties Finau. A 69 or better breaks the record.

3. The biggest 54-hole lead in the event's Vidanta era

That one may already be his. The PGA Tour's pre-tournament records list Jake Knapp's four-shot lead in 2024 as the largest after 54 holes. Novak leads by six.

4. The largest winning margin

Finau's three-shot win in 2023 is the biggest margin on record at this venue. Novak can lose half of his cushion on Sunday and still break it.

5. A perfect week inside 10 feet

Golfweek had Novak 36-for-36 on putts inside 10 feet after three rounds. MintzGolf counted him 37-for-37 and leading the field in strokes gained putting. Either way, he hasn't missed a short one. He said he has been waiting all year for the putter to catch up with the rest of his game. "I've been trying to be patient all year and just tell myself like if I ever get the putting sorted out, this is what it's going to look like," he said.

Who is chasing

Pavon has a lot riding on a good finish. His two-year exemption from his 2024 win at Torrey Pines runs out this year, and he arrived at No. 140 in the FedEx Cup. The AP reported that a runner-up finish would move him just inside the top 100. Ghim sounded realistic. "Something significant would probably need to happen for me to have a chance tomorrow," he said.

Pierceson Coody, Max Greyserman and Ben Griffin are tied for fourth at 15 under. BYU amateur Kihei Akina shot 68 and is tied for seventh. Another top-10 finish would earn him another point in the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. Tom Kim and Brian Campbell are tied for ninth at 13 under after each took a two-shot wrong-ball penalty on Friday.

Watch

Golfweek has Sunday's tee times, groupings and TV listings. Keep 260 in mind as Novak plays the back nine.