PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips is the first brand ambassador for Tiger Woods’s Sun Day Red clothing line.
However, as the 23-year-old Australian was chasing his maiden Tour title Sunday at the Puerto Rico Open, he was wearing white, unlike Woods.
Like Woods, though, Vilips was able to hold his 54-hole lead (Woods has a 42-2 record when holding the outright lead through three rounds of a tournament) and claim his first win in just his fourth Tour start.
Afterward, Vilips checked his phone and didn’t notice one of the numbers who reached out to congratulate him. However, it was Woods—one of Vilips’s idols.
But the Big Cat will have to wait for a response.
“I got on my phone after the round and I was just scrolling,” Vilips said, “Like ‘who was texting me?’ I think I got one from a random number that called me as well. Then there was a voicemail saying it’s Tiger and I couldn't like process it in the moment, I was just trying to—I’ll get back to that later. That’s pretty cool.”
"COME ON!" 😤
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 9, 2025
Rookie Karl Vilips wins in style after setting a new tournament record for the lowest 72-hole score @PuertoRicoOpen. pic.twitter.com/hnr94iXalF
Finishing at 26 under par, Vilips, a former Stanford Cardinal like Woods, broke the Puerto Rico Open’s 72-hole scoring record (the event was playing opposite to the Arnold Palmer Invitational) to earn a spot in next week’s Players Championship, the PGA Championship and secure a two-year Tour exemption.
Plus, the victory justified why Woods selected Vilips as the first to don Sun Day Red on Tour.
“I think it shows me that there’s a reason why they chose me to rep their brand and I’m just really happy to be able to do it in a way that’s as myself,” Vilips said. “It’s really cool and I know everyone at Sun Day Red team is going to be super happy. You’ve got to look good to play good, so yeah, it’s really cool.”
Now, he’ll wear the 15-time major champion's logo with pride next week at TPC Sawgrass, hoping to have his own “better than most” moment.
But first, Vilips might want to text back Woods.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as PGA Tour Rookie Leaves Tiger Woods on Read After First Win at Puerto Rico Open.
