Karl Vilips Wins the Puerto Rico Open With a Record 26 Under

For a stretch of Sunday's back nine, Karl Vilips looked like the rookie who was about to lose a tournament he had led. Then he birdied three straight holes, and by the time he rolled in one last birdie at the 18th, it was the rest of the field that had run out of answers.

Vilips closed with an 8-under 64 at Grand Reserve Golf Club to win the Puerto Rico Open at 26-under 262, three shots clear of Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. It is the 23-year-old Australian's first PGA TOUR title, it came in only his fourth career start, and the 262 is a tournament record, five better than the 267s posted by Chesson Hadley in 2014 and Nico Echavarria in 2023.

"It's a dream come true for me and my dad," Vilips said, per the AP.

The Charge From Denmark

The drama came from a player who had seemingly fallen out of it. Neergaard-Petersen led after 36 holes, shot 73 on Saturday and started the final round four back. On Sunday the Dane opened the back nine with six straight birdies, a run that rewrote the leaderboard in real time.

When Vilips made bogey at the par-4 12th after hitting a wedge from the fairway, Neergaard-Petersen briefly had the lead. For a player in his first PGA TOUR start, on a commissioner's exemption, it was a genuine shot at history.

"When I made the putt on the 15th is when I thought if I can post a good number, we'll see," Neergaard-Petersen said.

He posted 63, the low round of the day, and finished at 23-under 265. It was a brilliant number. It just ran into a better one.

Three Straight to Take It Back

The turning point was immediate. Vilips answered the bogey right away with a birdie at the 13th. On the par-5 14th, he hit a deft pitch to set up the birdie that put him back in front. On the par-3 15th, his tee shot stopped about 5 feet from the hole, and that birdie gave him breathing room.

He did not give any of it back. Vilips played the last three holes without a wobble and finished with a 6-foot birdie putt on 18, punctuated with a "Come on!" that said everything about how much this one meant.

Through 54 holes he had looked like a player managing his way around the course while dealing with stomach trouble. On Sunday he looked like the best player in the field, and the scorecard agreed: 65, 67, 66, 64.

A Kid's Plan, Finished

There is a long backstory here. Vilips' father helped set up a path to a school in the United States when Vilips was 11, which led to a decorated junior career and a scholarship to Stanford. He spent one year on the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his card, and a back injury delayed the start of his rookie season.

"This is what we dreamed of as a kid," he said.

He did it wearing Sun Day Red, the apparel brand of Tiger Woods, which only added to the sense that a lot of people had been waiting for this breakthrough.

The Rest of the Board

Joseph Bramlett, who started the day one back, shot 68 and finished alone in third at 21 under, five behind. It was another strong week for a veteran still searching for a first win after more than 150 TOUR starts, but Bramlett never generated the kind of run that Vilips and Neergaard-Petersen did.

Kieron van Wyk, the College of Charleston amateur who was also one back to start, shot 70 and tied for fourth with Steven Fisk (68) at 19 under. Van Wyk did not make enough birdies to become the second amateur winner on TOUR in as many years, but a top-five finish in a PGA TOUR debut is no small thing.

Matti Schmid (66), Davis Riley (68), William Mouw (69) and Kevin Roy (68) tied for sixth at 18 under. Brandt Snedeker and Carson Young tied for 10th at 17 under.

What It Buys

The rewards are big. Vilips earns $720,000, 300 FedExCup points, a two-year PGA TOUR exemption and spots in THE PLAYERS Championship next week and the PGA Championship in May. Because the event was played opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the win does not come with a Masters invitation.

Neergaard-Petersen leaves with something too: the runner-up finish gets him into the Valspar Championship in two weeks. "I'm super happy for the day. I'm looking forward to another opportunity," he said.

For Vilips, the next opportunity is TPC Sawgrass, and the hype that has followed him since his junior days finally has a PGA TOUR trophy behind it.

Catch up on the full week in our Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 recaps. Final scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's final-round story (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (final-round story and leaderboard), AP, CBS Sports, Golf Today. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.