Novak Goes Solo, Alexander Owns the LET, and Remember the Name Swanwick

Andrew Novak cruised to his second PGA Tour win — and first solo title — at the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, closing with a 69 to finish five shots clear. A 61 and 62 in rounds two and three did the heavy lifting, and this time he didn’t let it slip. About time. Nobody’s calling that a fluke.

Over on the Ladies European Tour, Casandra Alexander won the Wistron Ladies Open at Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taipei for her third LET title of the year, and in doing so locked up the Order of Merit. A final-round 64 secured a three-shot win. She’s world No. 27 and basically owns the LET right now.

The 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship held at Te Arai Links in New Zealand this week was a great watch. Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand defended his title with a six-under-par 72-hole total of 278, beating New Zealand’s Zack Swanwick by three. Swanwick led through 54 holes, but a triple on the 11th in the final round derailed him. Still, second is the best finish by a Kiwi in championship history — and given that he absolutely rips it, you can guarantee we’ll hear his name again soon.

And can we talk about New Zealand golf for a second? Te Arai North, Te Arai South and Tara Iti — honestly, some of the best golf on the planet. I’m biased, I don’t care. We’ve got a plethora of world-class courses in this country and one thing that makes it even more appealing is that if you stray into the long stuff, the worst that might happen is not finding your ball. No snakes in this country. That may be why golf ball sales are much higher in Australia.

Finally, the DP World Tour play-offs start this Thursday at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links, then the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week, where the 2026 Order of Merit champ will be crowned.

Until next time — Enjoy the walk!