Tiger Woods told Karl Vilips he was proud of him after the Aussie rookie’s PGA Tour win in Puerto Rico

Tiger Woods picked Karl Vilips as the first player to wear his clothing brand and left a stirring message when the Aussie rookie won his first PGA Tour title.

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.

Karl Vilips has a fan in Tiger Woods. Picture: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP

“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#ThePlayersChampionshippic.twitter.com/gBm6kMoptb

— 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.”

Originally published as Tiger Woods told Karl Vilips he was proud of him after the Aussie rookie’s PGA Tour win in Puerto Rico