Karl Vilips To Play At His First PGA Championship

During this week’s PGA Championship, there is a rookie to keep an eye on.  In this age of technology and the internet, some people seemingly pop up out of nowhere in any sort of community.  Golf has a few of these, such as the Good Good Golf Show and Rick Shiels, who partnered with LIV Golf.   This week, one of the original golf YouTube stars is on the field.  Karl Vilips will be teeing off after being encouraged by his father for his whole life.

Who Is Karl Vilips?

Karl Vilips is an Australian golfer who was playing all sorts of sports at age 2.  He eventually found a love for golf and was encouraged by his dad, Paul Vilips.  It was mostly playing with plastic toddler equipment until his skill improved enough to be taken to a real course.  All the while, Vilips Senior was recording it all on video.  When YouTube started gaining more traction in 2008, and the PGA made its official channel, that’s when Paul Vilips began uploading videos of his son playing golf.  In an interview, Paul Vilips described how it was originally just clips, and it evolved with help from the comment section.  He was doing this to fund Karl’s golf ambitions.  With some marketing know-how from Paul, he was able to give his son the exposure needed to kickstart his golf career.

“Without it, I don’t think I’d be able to get everything I’ve gotten up to this point,” Vilips said. “My dad had a vision, and it panned out.”

The funding from the channel gave the Vilips’ what they needed to get Karl better training and get him to the US for tournaments, and eventually move there.  All this despite the people around them at home doubting how effective it would be.

“Not everybody’s on the same page as us crazy parents, because we all think our kid’s going to make it to the PGA TOUR,” Paul Vilips said. “Even the head professionals at clubs would come up to me and say, ‘Why are you wasting yours and other people’s time on your dreams with your son, because don’t you realize the ridiculously small odds of your son making it?’ And my usual reply would be, ‘So what you’re saying then, is that there is a chance.’”

Turning Pro

Vilips turned pro in 2024, he did this after winning his fourth Korn Ferry Tour start.  Managing to reach the Korn Ferry to PGA pipeline, similar to Aldrich Potgieter.  Throughout his short career, he made the cut in fifteen out of twenty-two events he has played in.  Vilips only has two wins under his belt.  The first win is the Utah Championship as part of the Korn Ferry in 2024. The second win is the Puerto Rico Open through the PGA just this year.  He has made four top-five finishes and was the runner-up once.  Including the Puerto Rico Open, Vilips has competed in nine events through the PGA for the 2025 season.  Vilips doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Vilips At The PGA Championship

Although only just starting his career, Vilips is about to enter his first major.  Even if the odds are stacked against him, he is riding high on how far he’s come.  Starting in his dad’s backyard and working his way up through the then-newfangled technology of YouTube, Vilips has a lot to be proud of.  Another rookie of interest to add spice to the sport, and also one who was a milestone in how the internet has affected golf.