Novak Called It Three Terrible Shots. Then He Moved On

On Sunday in Vallarta, Andrew Novak started the final round of the VidantaWorld Mexico Open with a six-shot lead. By the 10th hole, half of it was gone. What he did next is the whole lesson.

The moment

Novak had earned that cushion with rounds of 61 and 62. But Sunday's front nine was quiet. On the easiest par 5, his second shot plugged in the lip of a bunker and he could only nudge it back into the sand. He missed two birdie chances from just inside 10 feet. "I played really well on the front and didn't get much out of it," he said.

Then came the 10th. He was honest about it afterward: "10 was a mistake, three terrible shots in a row." Bogey. His lead was down to three.

Here's the part worth remembering. He didn't carry the 10th onto the 11th. On the par-5 12th he splashed a greenside bunker shot to 4 feet and made birdie. He drove the 13th green and two-putted for another. On the 14th he rolled in a long birdie putt from across the green. Three in a row, and his lead was back to six.

"That kind of really settled everything," he said. He shot 69, won by five at 25 under, a tournament record, and took his first individual PGA TOUR title.

Your first-nine lesson: a bad hole is just one hole

Every golfer has a hole like Novak's 10th. Three shots in a row that go nowhere you meant. On your first nine it might be a topped tee shot, a chunk, and a putt that rolls past.

What matters is what you bring to the next tee:

Name it and leave it. Novak called it "a mistake" and moved on. You can too: "That hole was messy." Done.
Pick up when it gets long. Many beginners use a max score, like double par, and then pick up. It keeps you moving and keeps your group happy.
Make the next shot simple. Aim at the middle, take a smooth swing, and let your putter, 52° or 56° do their job from close in.
Remember the score card isn't the day. The next shot is all that matters.

Our double bogey guide shows why big numbers are normal early on, and Start Here walks you through your first nine step by step.

Novak Called It Three Terrible Shots. Then He Moved On

The moment

Your first-nine lesson: a bad hole is just one hole

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