Star Aussie amateur and Stanford University player Karl Vilips has bolstered the Australian contingent at next week’s US Open after making it through gruelling 36-hole final qualifying, earning his major championship debut.
Vilips, 21, was the only Australian among 13 entrants from Down Under to bag a US Open ticket through the Monday final qualifiers. Across 10 sites in the US, there were 45 spots on offer from 645 players.
Vilips’ addition means Australia’s representation at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club next week grew to seven. Reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Cam Davis, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Jason Day make up the seven.
Vilips played his qualifier at Woodmont Country Club in Maryland and earned co-medalist honours alongside US amateur Isaac Simmons. Vilips fired a three-under-par 68 in the morning round before cementing his US Open berth with a calm 70 in the afternoon to finish at four under (138). In a clutch finish, Vilips birdied his final hole to avoid a playoff that included the four golfers who finished at three under. That quartet played off for three spots.
Instead, Vilips came out with the equal-lowest score among a field that included PGA Tour and LIV stars.
Vilips has been on the radar of hardcore Australian golf fans since he won the US Kids World Championship at seven years of age. The Perth native then moved to the US to attend high school at Saddlebrook Prep in Florida, where he put himself on the radar of American colleges and coaches.
Vilips was No.1 in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) junior rankings in 2018 and from there he gained a spot on the golf team at the Ivy League’s famed Stanford University outside San Francisco. Stanford’s former players include Tiger Woods and Tom Watson.
Vilips has played on two Junior Presidents Cup teams and won the gold medal representing Australia at the 2018 Youth Olympics. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Newcomer Team as a freshman and was a member of the Stanford team that won the 2023 Pac-12 Championship, finishing tied for sixth in the individual standings.
Meanwhile, of the Australians who missed out, Marc Leishman was the closest. The six-time PGA Tour winner, who is now a member of Smith’s Ripper GC team on LIV, also played at Woodmont Country Club.
After firing a 68 in the morning round, Leishman stumbled with a 74 to be finish at even par and three shots out of a playoff.
At Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles, Matt Jones was T13 and didn’t progress, while Harrison Endycott and Justin Warren were tied 14th and 18th respectively at Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey. Both missed out.
Additional reporting Tony Webeck/Australian Golf Media
US Open Final Qualifying
Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Maryland
60 players for 4 spots
T1 Karl Vilips (a) 68-70—138
T8 Marc Leishman 68-74—142
T21 Travis Smyth 73-73—146
Hillcrest Country Club, Los Angeles, California
89 players for 5 spots
T13 Matt Jones 71-67—138
T17 Grant Booth 67-72—139
Old Chatham Club Durham, North Carolina
76 players for 5 spots
54 Jimmy Zheng (a, NZ) 74-71—145
WD Rhein Gibson 71
Brookside G&CC and The Lakes G&CC, Columbus, Ohio
103 players for 11 spots
T24 Aaron Baddeley 69-71—140
T31 David Micheluzzi 72-70—142
T43 Daniel Gale 74-69—143
MC Nick Voke (NZ) 67-77—144
WD Geoff Ogilvy 78
Canoe Brook Country Club, Summit, New Jersey
67 players for 4 spots
T14 Harrison Endycott 72-70—142
T18 Justin Warren 72-72—144
Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Georgia
43 players for 3 spots
31 Hamish Murray (a) 76-73—149
