Tiger Woods picks Aussie ace to wear his Sun Day Red

[Pelican Press 0]

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Tiger Woods picks Aussie ace to wear his Sun Day Red

*********** young gun Karl Vilips reckons it’s “really cool” to be the first golfer named to be a brand ambassador for Tiger Wood’s new clothing line, Sun Day Red.

Vilips will be decked out from head to toe in the apparel when he makes his debut as a full PGA Tour member at this week’s ******** Open in Puerto Vallarta.

“Yep. Shoes, shoes, socks, pants, belt, shirt, hats, TaylorMade gloves,” Vilips said on a Zoom call from the US on Wednesday.

“I’ve had a few weeks to let it sink in and it still really hasn’t.

“I mean, when they posted it today, when Tiger reposted on his story, that was one of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me.

“Obviously it’s someone that I’ve looked up to my whole life.

“And his involvement and interest in my game, I definitely take that to heart.

“It’s really cool being the first. Certainly not the only, but being the first alongside Tiger, it’s special.”

Following in the footsteps of Woods and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, Vilips has been seen as something special himself for years.

The 23-year-old boasted an extraordinary amateur record and US college CV before graduating to the PGA Tour after being crowned the Korn Ferry Tour’s rookie of the year last season.

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.

Vilips finished his collegiate career ranked No.5 in Stanford history in career scoring average (71.04), trailing only Woods (70.96), Michael Thorbjornsen (70.40), Patrick Rodgers (70.31) and school record holder Maverick McNealy (70.12).

Coached by Jason Day’s former mentor Col Swatton, Vilips first met the 15-times major champion when he was six before reconnecting in recent years.

“I was just awestruck looking at him,” Vilips said of his first meeting with Woods.

“I couldn’t really say anything. Just listened to whatever he had to say, which I couldn’t tell you what that was.

“And then met him again a couple years later. And then throughout this whole process, it’s been really cool to hear what he’s had to say about me in picking me as ambassador.

“It’s a huge honour.”

After being sidelined since the *********** Open in early December with a stress fracture in his back, Vilips is ready to take the PGA Tour by storm.

“I think I’m definitely ready to contend out here. I think my game’s good enough,” he said after slashing his ranking from No.4502 in the world last June to No.263.

“It’s very well-rounded and my coach and I on all fronts – mental coach, swing coach, training coach – we’ve all done a really good job in getting me prepared to be here.

“My game’s in a good spot at the moment where I can compete and it’s just all about how I handle it out there and just kind of getting into a flow and just embracing everything around me.”

Vilips and veteran Aaron Baddeley are the only two Australians teeing it up this week at the Greg Norman-designed Vidanta Vallarta Course, where a 132-man field will jostle for the $US7 million purse.

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