PGA TOUR University On TOUR: Karl Vilips continues to roll on Korn Ferry Tour, finishes second at NV5
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Karl Vilips has three straight top-15 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
After finishing 10th in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2024, Karl Vilips has parlayed his conditional Korn Ferry Tour membership into three straight top-15 finishes, highlighted by a runner-up at last week’s NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank. The Australian climbed 14 spots on the leaderboard Sunday with a final-round 63, and he’s now 44th on the points list with three events remaining before the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
“Finishing top 75 was the goal,” said Vilips, referencing what it would take to earn exempt status on Korn Ferry Tour next season. “It was an ambitious goal for someone who was 10th (in PGA TOUR U) with very minimal conditional status. But it was a goal that I set out to achieve once I got the opportunity to play, so it's really nice to just see it all happening at the moment.”
As Vilips continues to climb the points list, the next threshold for him is a top-30 finish and a PGA TOUR card for 2025. Sam Bennett bolstered his position within the top 30 with a T3 finish last week, and he improved four spots to No. 22 in the season-long standings. In all, seven alumni are currently in the top 30, and 12 alumni are in the top 75.
While the PGA TOUR is off this week, the world’s best have traveled to Paris to compete in the Men’s Olympic Golf Competition at Le Golf National. Three PGA TOUR University alumni will represent their countries: Ludvig Åberg (Sweden), Kevin Yu (Chinese Taipei) and Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Belgium).
At the Commissionaires Ottawa Open on PGA TOUR Americas, the top alumni were Derek Hitchner and Michael Brennan, who finished T6. With five events remaining in the season, Frederik Kjettrup (No. 2), John Keefer (No. 4) and Ryan Burnett (No. 7) are in position to finish in the top 10 of the Fortinet Cup and earn their Korn Ferry Tour cards for 2025.
PGA TOUR University Alumni – Korn Ferry Tour Points List
| Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best finish of season |
| 10 | Quade Cummins | 947 | 18 | T2, The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic |
| 14 | Jackson Suber | 868 | 18 | 2nd, Compliance Solutions Championship |
| 16 | John Pak | 819 | 15 | 1st, Compliance Solutions Championship |
| 21 | Trent Phillips | 723 | 18 | T2, The Panama Championship |
| 22 | Sam Bennett | 718 | 17 | T3, twice |
| 25 | William Mouw | 679 | 16 | T2, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open |
| 26 | Noah Goodwin | 663 | 17 | T3, Price Cutter Charity Championship |
| 32 | Ricky Castillo | 545 | 18 | T5, Twice |
| 44 | Karl Vilips* | 395 | 3 | 2nd, NV5 Invitational |
| 46 | Ross Steelman | 377 | 17 | 3rd, The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic |
| 65 | Cole Hammer | 292 | 18 | 6th, Astara Golf Championship |
| 71 | Matthew Riedel* | 273 | 7 | T2, The Ascendant |
| 85 | Garett Reband | 212 | 14 | T3, Astara Chile Classic |
| 93 | Patrick Welch | 192 | 18 | 13th, UNC Health Championship |
| 101 | Logan McAllister | 152 | 17 | T18, 117 Visa Argentina Open |
| 112 | Fred Biondi | 143 | 16 | T7, The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic |
| 114 | Trevor Werbylo | 140 | 17 | T9, Veritex Bank Championship |
| 120 | Ryan Hall | 129 | 12 | T14, UNC Health Championship |
| 124 | Austin Greaser* | 117 | 7 | T4, Memorial Health Championship |
| 127 | Nick Gabrelcik* | 113 | 7 | T7, Price Cutter Charity Championship |
| 131 | Yuxin Lin | 106 | 4 | 8th, Veritex Bank Championship |
| 134 | Christo Lamprecht* | 101 | 6 | T5, The Ascendant |
| 148 | William Moll* | 77 | 7 | 19th, NV5 Invitational |
| 164 | Connor Howe | 60 | 12 | T17, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open |
| 176 | RJ Manke | 40 | 2 | T20, AdventHealth Championship |
| 179 | Cole Sherwood | 38 | 5 | T46, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open |
| 206 | Ben Carr | 9 | 1 | T48, Club Car Championship |
| 219 | Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira | 6 | 2 | T51, Astara Golf Championship |
| 224 | Gustav Frimodt* | 6 | 2 | T55, Price Cutter Charity Championship |
| 230 | Sam Choi | 5 | 9 | T59, 117 Visa Argentina Open |
*Class of 2024
PGA TOUR University Alumni – FedExCup Standings
| Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best finish of season |
| 6 | Ludvig Åberg | 2,092 | 16 | 2nd, Twice |
| 24 | Davis Thompson | 1,333 | 22 | 1st, John Deere Classic |
| 49 | Austin Eckroat | 969 | 21 | 1st, Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches |
| 87 | Kevin Yu | 469 | 21 | T3, The American Express |
| 93 | Mac Meissner | 422 | 20 | 4th, Barracuda Championship |
| 95 | Chris Gotterup | 415 | 21 | 1st, Myrtle Beach Classic |
| 119 | Pierceson Coody | 303 | 19 | T2, ISCO Championship |
| 131 | Jacob Bridgeman | 255 | 19 | T14, RBC Canadian Open |
| 135 | Michael Thorbjornsen* | 232 | 6 | T2, John Deere Classic |
| 158 | Joe Highsmith | 157 | 19 | T6, Puerto Rico Open |
| 160 | Parker Coody | 151 | 20 | T6, Corales Puntacana Championship |
| 166 | Adrien Dumont de Chassart | 130 | 19 | T6, Puerto Rico Open |
*Class of 2024
PGA TOUR University Alumni – Fortinet Cup Standings
| Rank | Player | Points | Events | Best finish of season |
| 2 | Frederik Kjettrup* | 1,011 | 5 | 1st, twice |
| 4 | John Keefer* | 786 | 5 | 2nd, twice |
| 7 | Ryan Burnett | 696 | 10 | 1st, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
| 14 | Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira | 487 | 11 | 2nd, The Beachlands Victoria Open |
| 16 | Chase Sienkiewicz | 445 | 11 | T3, Inter Rapídisimo Golf Championship |
| 24 | Derek Hitchner | 353 | 11 | T3, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
| 36 | Ben Carr | 296 | 11 | T3, KIA Open |
| 52 | Michael Brennan* | 211 | 5 | T4, Explore NB Open |
| 56 | Yuxin Lin | 192 | 6 | T3, Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club |
| 64 | Reid Davenport | 172 | 11 | T8, Twice |
| 72 | Dylan Menante* | 142 | 5 | T7, Explore NB Open |
| 106 | Bryce Lewis* | 75 | 5 | T12, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
| 110 | Ryggs Johnston* | 74 | 5 | T12, ATB Classic |
| 112 | RJ Manke | 71 | 5 | T12, Explore NB Open |
| 121 | Tommy Kuhl | 64 | 10 | T24, 69th ECP Brazil Open |
| 124 | Petr Hruby* | 63 | 5 | T12, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
| 127 | Cameron Sisk | 56 | 6 | T22, Diners Club Peru Open |
| 140 | Cole Sherwood* | 45 | 1 | T18, ATB Classic |
| 160 | Sam Choi | 32 | 3 | T31, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
| 184 | Karl Vilips* | 20 | 2 | T33, ATB Classic |
| 200 | Canon Claycomb* | 13 | 5 | T46, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
| 229 | Sampson Zheng* | 4 | 1 | T66, The Beachlands Victoria Open |
| 233 | Ben Lorenz* | 3 | 4 | 73rd, Bromont Open presented by Desjardins |
*Class of 2024