Rookie won Puerto Rico Open in third TOUR start as a member, qualifying for first PLAYERS

The immediate moments after a PGA TOUR title can be a whirlwind, particularly for a young pro after winning his third start as a member. Players must gather their thoughts for the winner’s speech, media obligations and thanking volunteers – all while feeling the rush of euphoria that comes with achieving a childhood dream.

For Karl Vilips at the Puerto Rico Open, the emotions were compounded by a voicemail from 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods – his lifelong hero, the reason he went to Stanford, and a constant source of inspiration.

“He’s been my idol playing golf,” Vilips said in his TOUR rookie interview last fall. “It’s just hard to watch him and not be like, ‘I really want to do that one day.’ Even now, everything that he does, you want to try and copy it in some way. … I think there was definitely a lot of Tiger influence in wanting to go to Stanford; you watch all the documentaries and he’s in his room with a Stanford poster on the wall.

“I just want to follow in his footsteps.”

Vilips carded a final-round 64 at the Puerto Rico Open for a decisive three-stroke win at 26-under, earning the final spot in this week’s field at THE PLAYERS Championship. The 23-year-old Australian will compete in his adopted home region of northeast Florida, less than a month after returning from a back injury that delayed the start to his TOUR career after he earned his card via the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour – his first year as a pro after graduating from Stanford.

Last month, Vilips inked a deal with Woods’ Sun Day Red apparel line, becoming the first TOUR pro to rep the brand. Sunday afternoon, Vilips quickly scrolled his phone while headed to his winner’s press conference, and a voicemail from an unsaved number caught his eye. He clicked.

“I was just scrolling, like who was texting me? I think I got one from a random number that called me as well,” Vilips said Sunday. “Then there was a voicemail saying it's Tiger and I couldn't, like, process it in the moment, I was just trying to … I'll get back to that later. That's pretty cool.”

The Vilips-Woods thread extends beyond the touring pros. Vilips and his dad Paul moved from Australia to the United States when the younger Vilips was 11, intending to give Karl every opportunity to chase a career in professional golf. Along the way, the elder Vilips picked up on some nuances of Earl Woods’ approach – like making sure that his son’s golf clubs matched his height at each level.

Paul Vilips was also struck by Earl Woods’ unwavering belief in his son and his abilities – which in part inspired the bold move to America, eventually leading Vilips to the TOUR winner’s circle.

“You’ve got to be crazy enough to believe that your kid can do it,” Paul Vilips said last fall.

It’s not crazy to think Vilips could ride the hot hand at THE PLAYERS Championship, played at a TPC Sawgrass venue where Woods has enjoyed ample success – victories at THE PLAYERS in 2001 and 2013, preceded by the 1994 U.S. Amateur title.

After winning in Puerto Rico, Vilips discussed memories of Woods at TPC Sawgrass through the years, still in awe of the serpentine “Better Than Most” putt on the island-green, par-3 17th during the third round in 2001 – “I mean, you just can’t forget that putt” – and even recalling the Woods-David Lingmerth duel in 2013.

Vilips is familiar with TPC Sawgrass, having gone 5-for-5 in top-10 finishes at the Junior PLAYERS (2016-20). He “had a hard time getting to sleep” on Saturday evening in Puerto Rico, he said, thinking of what a TOUR victory would mean. Three weeks ago, he played a practice round at TPC Sawgrass and visualized competing in THE PLAYERS. Mission accomplished.

“That was the big goal, I wanted to get into THE PLAYERS and I knew I had to win this week to do it,” Vilips said. “It's just a dream come true to be able to play in that tournament.”

Life has happened fast for Vilips in the last 12 months, akin to Woods’ experience in his nascent days as a professional. Vilips turned pro with conditional Korn Ferry Tour status at No. 10 on the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking, then won in his fourth Korn Ferry Tour start. He finished No. 19 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, with 30 TOUR cards available. Now in one way he has surpassed Woods’ timeline – Woods earned his first TOUR title at the 1996 Shriners Children’s Open in his fifth TOUR start as a member. Vilips won in his third start as a member. It’s not to project Vilips to an 82-win career, but it’s an indication of the 23-year-old Australian’s robust talent.

“Karl’s journey has been marked by success at every level he's played,” Woods said in a press release announcing Vilips’ Sun Day Red deal, less than a month before Vilips won in Puerto Rico. “At Sun Day Red, we were drawn towards his relentless work ethic and pioneering spirit that embody what we stand for and look for in our athletes. With his impressive track record and determination, I have no doubt he will make a significant impact quickly on the PGA TOUR and is one of the game’s future stars."

Buoyed by Woods’ inspiration, Vilips is well on his way.

“There's so many things that I've watched with him that I just kind of try and do what he does,” Vilips said of Woods. “Study hard, attend a good school and obviously hard work's going to pay off in the end, but he's been such a huge influence in my golf career.”