Fascinating documentary of Australian golfer Karl Vilips’ rise captured by dad, Paul

There are golfing dads – and then there’s Karl Vilips’ dad, Paul. Vilips’ rise to the PGA Tour has been documented by Paul from a young age - a professional golfing career carved out from inside the Big Brother house.

There are golfing dads – and then there’s Karl Vilips’ dad, Paul. He stands under trees and behind bushes, whispering not words of encouragement to his son, but yardages. He’s talking pin placements. Wind directions.

He’s not his caddie, but his camera operator. The red button is on, like it always has been, chronicling Karl’s career when no one else is there to watch.

There’s something pure and genuine about a parent commentating their own child’s career in real time. Richard Fox was live on air when daughter, Jess, finally won her first Olympic Games gold medal in Tokyo. His reaction was almost as captivating as the race itself. All of a parent’s thoughts, in that exact moment, are laid bare without a filter. Joy and jubilation. Defeat and despair.

A few months ago, Paul was there for another of Karl’s events, the NV5 Invitational on the Korn Ferry Tour, the level below the PGA Tour. It’s a fascinating melting pot of golf’s dreamers like Vilips, youngsters hoping to climb the ladder to superstardom, and the down-and-out veterans fighting to put food on the table, keeping the fire burning in pursuit of that one good week.

It was just the third time Vilips had played on the Korn Ferry Tour for the year after graduating from college at Stanford, the same alumni which put the finishing touches on Tiger Woods. He went there, well, largely because Tiger Woods went there.

Karl Vilips with father Paul after winning the final round of the Utah Championship. Picture: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Again, Paul’s camera is rolling.

“He’s got 156 yards, the pin position is back right,” Paul murmurs, far enough away so his son can’t hear it.

Vilips steps up to the ball, and lets fly.

“Beauty by Karl.”

The ball lands a couple of feet beyond the cup and starts spinning. Surely not?

“Oh, it’s in. Oh, oh, oh. You beauuuuuty.”

The funny thing was if Paul wasn’t there, then no one would have been able to see it. But because he was, it’s straight on “Koala Karl’s” personal YouTube channel for the world to see within hours, complete with Paul’s analysis.

The YouTube channel is an encyclopaedia into Australia’s latest PGA Tour member, who will join the likes of Adam Scott, Jason Day and Min Woo Lee on world golf’s biggest circuit from January.

You can see his height, weight, swing speed, driver carry, basically any shot he’s hit in his life because there’s always been a camera there to film it. A professional golfing career carved out from inside the Big Brother house.

“I definitely felt like it was something we needed to do to get exposure and get funding to come to the States to play,” Vilips says of the catalogue, which started before he was a teenager. “I knew that would be a product of it.

“Did I enjoy doing it? Not at all times. I enjoyed playing, commentating and being able to rewatch the rounds. But I think again, as I got older, I appreciated it and enjoyed doing it, and understood I had to do it.”

Before he’d even finished primary school, Vilips was writing an email himself to manufacturing giant Taylor Made. He can’t remember the exact words, but the sentiment was: “I’m an 11-year-old. I love your equipment and I would love to be a part of the team.”

They gave him some clubs. He’s been with them ever since.

It was at the same age Vilips and Paul left Australia to help Karl pursue his golfing dream. Paul was told by club professionals in Perth, and later when they moved to Melbourne, the chances of Karl making it in the big time were minuscule. His response? “So, there’s a chance”.

Karl speaks with a distinct American twang these days, a product of living in the States for so long (he now resides in Jacksonville not far from Cameron Smith). He’s quick to stress he still calls Australia home. By the time Karl was 16, Paul returned to live in Australia as Karl moved into a boarding school.

“It was definitely daunting [leaving Australia at 11], but I acclimatised pretty quick to it,” Karl says. “I got excited being on my own [when dad returned to Australia]. I didn’t do a great job of communicating with him at all times. As I got older, I realised how important that relationship is, and how big of a role he played in my life.”

A young Karl Vilips in 2012.

When Karl, 23, was last month presented with the Korn Ferry Tour’s rookie of the year after securing his PGA Tour card in just 10 events since turning professional – an award won by world No.1 Scottie Scheffler five years ago – Paul recorded a short message. It was played to Karl, you guessed it, in front of a camera recording his reaction. He broke down in tears.

He’s not getting paid to do it, but Vilips is even wearing Tiger now. More specifically, Woods’ new Sun Day Red apparel. He says it feels more comfortable than the others, just like he knows his game will be on the PGA Tour.

“I feel confident,” he says. “I feel like I belong. I’ve played some great golf. I feel like I’ve got the game to compete out there and it’s just a matter of time until I put some good results out there.

“It’s definitely a goal of mine to be the best Aussie [in the world]. It always has been. It’s always a focus to be the best from my nation. If I can be the best here, I think I can eventually be the best in the world.”

Originally published as Fascinating documentary of Australian golfer Karl Vilips’ rise captured by dad, Paul