Australia’s latest winner in the US eyes off Los Angeles Olympics in 2028

Plenty of tournaments want to be considered the fifth major, but it’s clear for the next generation of players that tag belongs to the Olympics.

Karl Vilips won the Utah Championship, his first victory as a pro. Picture: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images via AFP

Rory McIlroy said the power-packed field at the Paris Olympics was the perfect antidote to the “sh**tshow” the sport had become, and winning gold was something the next generation would put at the top of their achievement list, according to Australia’s latest winner Karl Vilips.

After tasting victory in his just his sixth start as a professional in the US, Vilips, 22, who wore the green and gold at the Youth Olympics in 2018, has put the Games on his must-do wishlist and given his trajectory it could be as soon as Los Angeles in 2028.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler came from the clouds to win gold at Paris ahead of a field of the world’s best that rivalled any major, with LIV and PGA Tour stars competing against each other.

It moved McIlroy, who finished in a tie for fifth, to declare the Olympics, where no prize money was on offer, was the “purest form of competition in our sport”.

Vilips, who moved to the US form Perth when he was 11, remains a patriotic Aussie and chants of “Koala Karl”, a moniker he has adopted, rang out as he took out a two-shot victory this week in the Utah Championship on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour, a win that has him within touching distance of a PGA Tour card for 2025.

Some things never change 🏆

Karl Vilips earns his first professional title at the @UTChampionship. pic.twitter.com/NxZy3KDcxy

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 4, 2024

He could join Olympian Min Woo Lee, who is one of the few players he has regular contact with among the large cohort of Australian stars in the US, and is eyeing off being his partner at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles and then Brisbane in 2032.

“It would mean a lot for me to obviously be on that team,” Vilips said.

“I competed for Australia at the Youth Olympics, so I guess the next step for me there was to be on the actual team there and winning gold for Australia is something that would be very special to me.

“Hopefully, I can be a part of that team if everything goes well at the next Olympics.”

This year’s Olympic golf field was the best since the sport was reintroduced in 2016, so much so that Australian star Cameron Smith changed his playing schedule to try to qualify.

Paris & The Olympics 🇫🇷 Thank you for an unforgettable week 🤝 It was an absolute honour to represent Australia. Playing for more than just me was a special feeling. I hope to represent the Green & Gold in 2028 🇦🇺🦘🐨

Thank you to my team, especially Karrie Webb & J Day 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/5fXIOfMb5N

— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) August 5, 2024

The elevated status of winning gold was reinforced by Vilips, who said the younger generation of players already considered it the sport’s unofficial fifth major.

“I think the Olympic gold medal is something that my generation will strive for more than others,” he said.

“2016 was tough with Zika, not everyone wanting to necessarily go over to Rio. Then Covid and 2020 (in Tokyo) was obviously also very tough.

“This year we really saw the first signs of guys really wanting a medal spot, a lot of emotions out of guys like Scotty and Tommy (Fleetwood) coming down the stretch there.

“I think my generation is taking notice and I would say at least the next Olympics and even the Olympics after that (in Brisbane in 2032) it’s going to be something that we show up for and everyone really wants to win.

“We obviously haven’t really seen that from the last two prior to this one.”