Latest news with #SUNDAYRED
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Tiger told Aussie after breakthrough win
Rising Australian star Karl Vilips celebrated his million-dollar, career-changing breakthrough PGA Tour win by playing video games for two hours with a 'couple of beers', buzzing from a Tiger Woods voicemail but knowing he has bigger goals to kick at the Players Championship. Heralded by fellow Aussie Adam Scott as having the 'ultimate' rise from one-time child prodigy to PGA Tour winner at just his fourth start, Vilips, 23, revealed Woods, who signed him to his Sun Day Red clothing band, said he was 'proud' of the rookie. Taking in the voicemail, hours before Woods revealed he'd had surgery on his achilles, was part of a whirlwind few hours for Vilips after his three-shot win in Puerto Rico that included getting back to his Florida base just down the road from TPC Sawgrass, where he's in the field for the $40m event considered by players to be the fifth major. 'Played Super Smash Bros for about two hours,' Vilips said when asked how he celebrated a win that secured him PGA Tour playing rights for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. 'I got back at like 8pm, so I was just pretty zonked. We just cracked open a couple beers and played Smash Bros for a couple hours and then went to bed.' Vilips said listening to Woods' message was 'pretty surreal'. 'I mean something you could only dream about as a kid,' he said. 'I got that voicemail and then the message, which you know, for him to say that he was very proud of me, it's just really just an awesome feeling.' Australians have a terrific record at The Players, with Cam Smith (2022), Jason Day (2016) and Adam Scott (2004) winners this century. Despite the immediate elevation into the elite ranks for this week's event, Vilips, while eyeing a top-20 finish, said a win around a course he had played 'a bunch' wouldn't be a complete shock. New week, same mindset. #SunDayRed# — SUN DAY RED (@SunDayRed) March 12, 2025 But he knows he needs a lift on what he did in Puerto Rico last week. 'I think a realistic goal would be a good top-20 finish,' he said. 'If I play really well and keep the ball in front of me and just stay in the present and not let the nerves and everything get to me, I think I could definitely have the top-20 finish out here. 'I definitely (can win), why not, but at the same time I would be pretty surprised. I've got to beat a lot of great players, I've got to play unbelievable golf. 'I think I would need to play much better golf than I did last week just because this course is a little bit harder. I've obviously thought about it, winning The Players, that would be unbelievable.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tiger Woods picks Aussie ace to wear his Sun Day Red
Australian young gun Karl Vilips reckons it's "really cool" to be the first golfer named to be a brand ambassador for Tiger Wood's new clothing line, Sun Day Red. Vilips will be decked out from head to toe in the apparel when he makes his debut as a full PGA Tour member at this week's Mexican Open in Puerto Vallarta. "Yep. Shoes, shoes, socks, pants, belt, shirt, hats, TaylorMade gloves," Vilips said on a Zoom call from the US on Wednesday. "I've had a few weeks to let it sink in and it still really hasn't. "I mean, when they posted it today, when Tiger reposted on his story, that was one of the coolest things that's ever happened to me. "Obviously it's someone that I've looked up to my whole life. "And his involvement and interest in my game, I definitely take that to heart. "It's really cool being the first. Certainly not the only, but being the first alongside Tiger, it's special." Welcome to the family, Karl Vilips. Time to make your mark. #SunDayRed — SUN DAY RED (@SunDayRed) February 18, 2025 Following in the footsteps of Woods and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, Vilips has been seen as something special himself for years. The 23-year-old boasted an extraordinary amateur record and US college CV before graduating to the PGA Tour after being crowned the Korn Ferry Tour's rookie of the year last season. As a junior prodigy, the Melbourne-born talent joined the legendary Bobby Jones as the youngest winner of the men's Southern Amateur at 15. He was a five-time AJGA All-American, won the US Kids Golf World Championship at age seven and nine and the Callaway World Junior at 10 and 12. Vilips finished his collegiate career ranked No.5 in Stanford history in career scoring average (71.04), trailing only Woods (70.96), Michael Thorbjornsen (70.40), Patrick Rodgers (70.31) and school record holder Maverick McNealy (70.12). Coached by Jason Day's former mentor Col Swatton, Vilips first met the 15-times major champion when he was six before reconnecting in recent years. "I was just awestruck looking at him," Vilips said of his first meeting with Woods. "I couldn't really say anything. Just listened to whatever he had to say, which I couldn't tell you what that was. "And then met him again a couple years later. And then throughout this whole process, it's been really cool to hear what he's had to say about me in picking me as ambassador. "It's a huge honour." After being sidelined since the Australian Open in early December with a stress fracture in his back, Vilips is ready to take the PGA Tour by storm. "I think I'm definitely ready to contend out here. I think my game's good enough," he said after slashing his ranking from No.4502 in the world last June to No.263. "It's very well-rounded and my coach and I on all fronts - mental coach, swing coach, training coach - we've all done a really good job in getting me prepared to be here. "My game's in a good spot at the moment where I can compete and it's just all about how I handle it out there and just kind of getting into a flow and just embracing everything around me." Vilips and veteran Aaron Baddeley are the only two Australians teeing it up this week at the Greg Norman-designed Vidanta Vallarta Course, where a 132-man field will jostle for the $US7 million purse.
