Australia’s latest winner in America – and probable newest PGA Tour member – is a child prodigy who’s quickly made an impact as a pro
‘Koala Karl” Vilips – a name you’ve probably seen in the golf corners of Instagram – might well be on the Australian men’s golf team at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old West Australian, who has lived in the US for half of his life, broke through with a maiden Korn Ferry Tour victory recently at the Utah Championship.
It was his fourth start on the US secondary circuit and came just two months after graduating from Stanford University – where Tiger Woods enjoyed his college stint in the 1990s – and turning pro in June.
After securing second place in the event before his win, Vilips launched himself within reach of a PGA Tour card for 2025. That hot fortnight elevated him to 13th on the points standings, and the top 30 players after the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship this month are promoted to the PGA Tour.
We caught up with Vilips, who went to high school in Florida, to chat about his journey to the winner’s circle.
▶ ▶ ▶
When I first got out on the Korn Ferry Tour, it was a bit of a leap from college golf with how low the guys were going out here. You have to shoot 20 to 25-under to win any given week. In college, you just had to avoid bogeys, and five or six-under would often win. Seeing who I’m able to compete with week in, week out on the Korn Ferry Tour gives me a lot of confidence that I can compete, hopefully, at the next level.
▶ ▶ ▶
I’ve been working with Col Swatton [former caddie and coach for Jason Day] for four years. I started with him in my freshman year of college at Stanford. He’s such a great mentor. Obviously, he’s done a lot with Jason Day in the past, and I think he’s just been able to teach me what it takes to improve. He’s been able to get my swing into a really nice place where it performs week in, week out. He’s also taught me how to play tournaments, prepare and manage courses.
▶ ▶ ▶
I think I’ve adapted to pro golf quickly because of hard work on the mental game. I’m a lot better now at knowing what it takes to prepare for an event. On the first tee on Thursday, I know what shot I need to hit. Performance-wise, I’ve eliminated the big miss, which throughout the first three years in college was a pull left off the tee under pressure. The wedges have gotten a lot better, too.
▶ ▶ ▶
Walking up the 18th green during my win in Utah, as they announced my name, I could hear “Koala Karl” chants from the crowd. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. It’s a nickname I’m going to stick with. It attaches Australia to my name at all times.
▶ ▶ ▶
It was a relief to come down 18 with a three-shot lead and make a pretty relaxed bogey to win by two shots. There were a few moments on the back nine where I felt a little bit of pressure from Matt McCarty and Joe Weiler [who shared second place].
▶ ▶ ▶
The win was pretty crazy. I’ve been trying to respond to everybody. It’s overwhelming with all the support I’ve been getting. It’s so cool.
▶ ▶ ▶
I definitely had to reassess my goals after winning. The goals at the start of 2024 were simply to play on the Canadian Tour as much as I could and try to win; top three from there would get conditional Korn Ferry status for the North America swing. But my win changed everything. Now, the goal is to get as high up within the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list as I can. I feel pretty solidified in those rankings.
▶ ▶ ▶
Prior to the last two rounds, I was able to watch the Olympic men’s golf tournament because it was on in the morning. It was really cool seeing Min Woo [Lee, T-22] and Jason [Day, T-9] play. It would mean a lot for me to obviously be on that team in Los Angeles in 2028. I competed [and won gold] for Australia at the Youth Olympics [in Buenos Aires in 2018], so I guess the next step for me there would be to make the actual Olympic team.
▶ ▶ ▶
Min Woo and I have known each other for a long time, growing up playing when we were really young in Perth. We played a lot of junior golf together. We still keep in touch through Instagram or Snapchat. I don’t really have too much contact with Jason. I’ve met him a couple of times, but he’s someone I look up to.
▶ ▶ ▶
The Olympic gold medal is something my generation will strive for more than others. I think in 2016 [in Rio de Janeiro], it was tough with Zika and not everyone wanting to necessarily go over. In Tokyo, during COVID-19, it also looked tough. This year, we really saw the first signs of guys really wanting a medal and a lot of emotions from guys like Scottie [Scheffler, the gold medallist] and Tommy [Fleetwood, who won silver]. I think my generation is taking notice of that. I really hope I can be on that team in four years, if everything goes well.
Image: David Berding/getty images
