PGA Tour rookie Karl Vilips signed for a 6-under 66 on Saturday to reach 18-under and take a one-shot lead at the Puerto Rico Open in his fourth start on Tour.

“I think the first week out in Mexico was a little rusty coming back off of three months [due to injury] and last week it felt like I played really well, I just had a bad putting day, and then this week it just feels like I’m rolling that over with a little bit better putting performance so far,” said Vilips.

With rounds of 65-67-66, Vilips ties the tournament 54-hole scoring record of 198 shot four times previously, most recently by Ben Kohles in 2024.

The Australian earned his Tour membership by finishing No. 19 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. In 10 Korn Ferry Tour starts last year, Vilis recorded seven top-25 finishes, highlighted by a win in his fourth start as a
professional at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank and Intermountain Health.

“I feel like my game’s gotten a lot better over the years. I think playing so much out of college and on the Korn Ferry and then just a lot of competitive golf, it just has sharpened me up a lot. I’ve been really true to the process and seeing it pay off so far at the moment is nice.”

He turned professional in 2024 after four years at Stanford University where he ranks fifth in program history in career scoring average (71.04), only behind Tiger Woods (70.96), Michael Thorbjornsen (70.40), Patrick Rodgers (70.31), Maverick McNealy (70.12).

Joseph Bramlett of the United States carded a bogey-free 64, the low round of the day, to move into a share of second place at 17-under. This is Bramlett’s best 54-hole position in his career on Tour.

South African Kieron Van Wyk whose bogey-free 65 featured an eagle at the par-5 14th shares second place.

Van Wyk earned an exemption this week by winning the 2024 White Sands Bahamas Men’s NCAA Golf Invitational. He also won the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines in January, becoming the first amateur to win an APGA event in the Tour’s 15-year history. He is in his senior year at the College of Charleston, currently No. 1 in the Bridgestone APGA Collegiate Ranking.

American Austin Cook lies in fourth place at 16-under having made three birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the par-5 11.

After setting the tournament record for lowest 36-hole score of 129, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen recorded a third-round 73 after making four birdies and five bogeys to move down into T9 at 14-under.

Related: Shaun Norris takes 4-shot lead into final day

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