Karl Vilips signed for a final round 64 featuring an eagle at the par-5 6th and marred by a single bogey for a 64 to reach 26-under and win the Puerto Rico Open.
“I think the front nine was pretty steady because no one was really pushing me and I knew that the guys in my group were in second, third. When I checked the leaderboard after 12 tee I saw Rasmus was pushing a little bit and I made an unforced error there. Next leaderboard that you could see was on 14 so I just had to get somewhat aggressive, make a couple birdies not only to retake that lead but also try and give myself a cushion,” said Vilips.
His 262 total marks a new 72-hole tournament scoring record beating the 267 recorded by Nico Echavarria in 2023 and Chesson Hadley in 2014. Vilips is now fully exempt on Tour through the 2027 season and he earned starts in the 2025 Players Championship and PGA Championship. He is projected to move from No. 161 to No. 41 in the FedExCup standings.
“Trying to soak it all in at the moment. I don’t know, just thinking ahead to next week already, Players, I’m getting ready for it. It’s been a bit busy, but I’m sure when I’m in my hotel room later I’ll be thinking about something,” he added.
“Last night that was about the only thing on my mind was everything that comes with a victory here. I had a hard time getting to sleep. But on the course it was just staying in the present, doing what I can do and I think I did a really good job of that because it is tough to not think about everything. Once I hit that wedge close on 18, those thoughts definitely started flowing in my head.”
The Australian won his first PGA Tour title in his fourth career start at the age of 23 years, 6 months and 21 days.
Vilips is the 12th player to win in one of his first four starts on Tour since 1970. He is the 37th Australian to win on Tour and the first since Cam Davis at the 2024 Rocket Classic.
In his first start on Tour, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen finished solo-second at 23-under after carding the low round of the day with a bogey-free 63. He qualified for a start at the Valspar Championship via top-10 finish.
American Joseph Bramlett recorded his best finish on Tour in his 160th career start he had finished T7 twice most recently at 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. His 72-hole score of 267 ties his career best at the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii where he finished T20). He led the field in Driving Distance (314.7 average).
In his first Tour start, South African amateur Kieron Van Wyk carded a 70 to finish T4 at 19-under, recording the first top-10 by an amateur on Tour this season, and the best finish by an amateur on Tour since the 2024 RSM Classic (Luke Clanton/T2). He earned a start in the Valspar Championship as from 2025, amateurs who finish in the top-10 qualify for the next open field event.
PGA Tour rookie Steven Fisk also closed with a 68 to tie for fourth, recording his first top-10 finish.
