After only turning professional in July, Vilips posted back-to-back top-25s in his first two Korn Ferry Tour starts, followed by a runner-up finish at the NV5 Invitational in Chicago.
The 23-year-old Stanford University graduate then broke through with a maiden Korn Ferry Tour victory in only his fourth start at the Utah Championship in August.
The win has earned Vilips his PGA Tour card for 2025 and continued his seemingly inevitable rise to stardom.
Graduated: May 2024 🎓— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) First pro win: August 2024 �@PGATOUR Card Earned: October 2024 ✅ @Koalakarl2001 is the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie of the year. pic.twitter.com/9b9tAHdNQyNovember 13, 2024
He boasts an extraordinary amateur record and US college CV.
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.Â
Vilips finished his collegiate career ranked No.5 in Stanford history in career scoring average (71.04), trailing only Tiger Woods (70.96), Michael Thorbjornsen (70.40), Patrick Rodgers (70.31) and school record holder Maverick McNealy (70.12).
Coached for the past four years by esteemed mentor Colin Swatton, who guided fellow Australian Jason Day to world No.1, Vilips has rocketed from 4507th in the rankings to No.239 since June.
His Korn Ferry rookie of the year award comes fives years after now-world No.1 Scheffler won the gong.
8°C