Andrew Novak, who woke up Monday El Jefe and $1 million richer, took a six-shot lead into Sunday at Vidanta Vallarta and closed with a 2-under 69 to win the VidantaWorld Mexico Open by five strokes. His 25-under 259 set a tournament record for 72 holes.
The 31-year-old built his cushion with rounds of 61 and 62 on Friday and Saturday. The 61 tied the course record, and Novak held the lead from the second round through the finish. It was his second PGA Tour title, but his first individual win; his previous victory came alongside best friend Ben Griffin at the 2025 Zurich Classic.
“I loved Zurich and everything about that tournament. That’s so fun,” Novak said. “But it is nice to have one by myself, too. This is one I’ve been working for for a while. Obviously not a great season for how I wanted it to go, but this is a nice way to kind of finish.”
He left Mexico with the trophy, 500 FedExCup points, and richer. A lot richer.
The Sunday stretch that decided it
Novak began the final round six shots clear and didn’t need a perfect day to finish the job. He made seven straight pars to start, birdied the eighth, then made the turn with a comfortable cushion. A bogey at the 10th trimmed his lead to three, but he steadied himself and closed at 25 under. His par on 18 sealed the win and the tournament record.
“Just happy with how I played today. I thought I grinded it out pretty well,” said Novak Sunday evening.
Steven Fisk and Kris Ventura made the most of their Sunday chances. Both shot bogey-free 63s to reach 20 under and share second, five strokes behind Novak. Fisk’s closing round included eight birdies, while Ventura also finished with eight birdies and no bogeys.
Sunday scorers who made a move
Fisk and Ventura weren’t the only players who finished with a flourish. Trace Crowe, Cameron Davis, and Neal Shipley also carded 63s, tying the week’s low round. Crowe’s 63 moved him into a tie for 11th at 17 under. Davis finished at 10 under, while Shipley’s round helped him reach 15 under and a tie for 16th. That’s a nice Sunday return for three players who were well outside the top 10 entering the final round.
Erik van Rooyen also climbed with a 64, finishing in a tie for sixth at 18 under. Mackenzie Hughes had a 66 to end at 19 under, tied for fourth with Griffin. These rounds didn’t threaten Novak’s lead, but they reshaped the places and payouts behind him.
A tough finish for Doug Ghim
Doug Ghim started Sunday in third place and was in the final group with Novak. He finished with a 69, but the number doesn’t tell the whole story: Ghim played his last five holes in 3 over, including a double bogey on 18. That late stumble dropped him into the six-way tie for sixth at 18 under.
Matthieu Pavon also had a difficult closing round. After beginning Sunday among the players chasing Novak, Pavon shot 71 and fell into a tie for 11th at 17 under. His finish shows how quickly a strong week can lose ground when the final round doesn’t keep pace with the low scores around him.
The wrong-ball rules mix-up
Friday’s finish brought an unusual rules moment for defending champion Brian Campbell and Tom Kim. The two played each other’s balls from the same greenside bunker on the 18th, then received two-stroke penalties. Both corrected the mistake before finishing the hole and went on to make the cut.
VidantaWorld Mexico Open: Top 10 Payouts
The tournament had a $6 million purse. Ties split the money allocated to the finishing positions they occupied.
| Finish | Player | Score | Earnings |
| 1 | Andrew Novak | −25 | $1,080,000 |
| T2 | Steven Fisk | −20 | $534,000 |
| T2 | Kris Ventura | −20 | $534,000 |
| T4 | Mackenzie Hughes | −19 | $270,000 |
| T4 | Ben Griffin | −19 | $270,000 |
| T6 | Erik van Rooyen | −18 | $189,300 |
| T6 | Brian Campbell | −18 | $189,300 |
| T6 | Tom Kim | −18 | $189,300 |
| T6 | Pierceson Coody | −18 | $189,300 |
| T6 | Doug Ghim | −18 | $189,300 |