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FARMINGTON — First-year pro Karl Vilips didn't end up needing his tournament exemption when he finished second last week at the NV5 Invitational in Illinois.
But contending on the Korn Ferry Tour in just his third start set up a bigger next step.
Vilips shot 5-under-par 66 Sunday to finish at 25-under and in his first Korn Ferry Tour title — and the largest share of the overall $1 million payout — at Oakridge Country Club by two strokes.
The 22-year-old Australian golfer was notified of his tournament exemption the night before his third round in Illinois, which he said freed him to play loose and finish off a strong round.
But it also may have freed him for his first professional win after six weeks on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas.
"The first two weeks I finished top 15 but not quite a top 10. I felt like I was there, I was good enough, but I was still 6-7 shots away from a win," Vilips said. "So Chicago last week really helped to close that gap and see where the improvement was made. To carry that on to this week, we're out here, we're trying to win teeing it up in the first round and I think it was just huge last week to see I can compete — I can shoot 25-26 under to win."
Vilips had one of the highlight-filled rounds of the tournament when he shot 62 Friday to blast by the cut line and slide into contention.
The former Stanford golfer from Perth, Australia, then seized control of the final round with birdies on four of the first seven holes. He nearly drained a 47-foot eagle putt on the par-5, 560-yard seventh green before tapping in, then collected another birdie on the par-5, 554-yard 15th hole to stretch his lead to three shots.
Vilips was nearly flawless, at least until he left a 8-foot par-putt short on the par-4, 437-yard 18th green. But even that could only dampen his spirit so much after holding off third-year pro Joe Weiler and PGA Tour-bound golfer Matt McCarty for the win.
"It's just kind of what you dream of when you qualify in," said Vilips, who surged up to No. 15 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. "Four weeks ago you step in, you try to keep playing and in your wildest dreams you imagine winning and shooting up the rankings. Suddenly, a lot of stress is relieved and I'm just so happy to see today, kind of all of that kind of be solved."
Vilips made his professional debut at the Beachlands Victoria Open in Canada just over a month ago, and already has four top-15 finishes in four starts on the Korn Ferry Tour after Sunday's victory.
It's the kind of start any pro golfer dreams — including top local finisher Daniel Summerhays, the former PGA Tour pro who was the top local finisher.
The BYU alum carded three birdies en route to 4-under 67 to finish at 19-under-par in a tie for 13th.
Summerhays drained a birdie putt with over a hundred local golf fans, friends and family watching on the 18th green for the second day in a row that will inch the 40-year-old golfer up two spots to No. 39 on the Korn Ferry Tour points list.
"It's always a thrill to have 100-plus people roaring for you," Summerhays said. "Yesterday's was probably more exciting; it was a much more difficult putt than the one I had today, and it had a little more buildup from the roar to cap off a good finish. But any time you can play in front of your friends and family, and perform well, it's a thrill."
Already qualified for the Korn Ferry Tour playoffs, Summerhays, who came out of retirement as a touring pro three years ago, will also play in next week's event in Omaha, Nebraska, while still maintaining an outside chance at regaining his PGA Tour card next year.
Ogden native Connor Howe, the former two-time state champion at Weber High who played at Georgia Tech, shot 64 Sunday at 15-under and tied for 36th in his first made cut in six starts and best finish since a T17 in the Wichita Open back in June for one of nine local golfers to make the field.
BYU golfer Cooper Jones, the former standout freshman who will leave on a two-year church mission in Peru next month, also finished at 15-under with a four-day total of 269.
Rising Lone Peak senior Kihei Akina, who has committed to BYU, shot 67 Sunday for a 13-under finish that tied for 49th with a group that included former BYU golf star Peter Kuest.
Former BYU golfer Carson Lundell finished at 10-under 271 and Max Brenchley, a senior with the Cougars last year, shot 8-under 276 on the round.
