Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red Brand Signs PGA Tour Rookie In First Of Its Kind Deal

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It was a matter of when, not if, Tiger Woods was going to sign a player to showcase his new Sun Day Red brand out on the PGA Tour, and the 15-time major winner has tapped none other than Karl Vilips to be that man.

While many golf fans may be hearing that name for the very first time, Woods and Sun Day Red are banking on a big-time future for the 23-year-old out of Australia. Vilips also played his college golf at Stanford just as Woods did, so there is a close tie between the two.

Vilips secured his PGA Tour card after finishing 19th in the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour during a season that featured him winning the Utah Championship in August which helped him lock up Rookie of the Year honors.

"Karl’s journey has been marked by success at every level he's played," Woods said in a press release. "At Sun Day Red, we were drawn towards his relentless work ethic, and pioneering spirit that embody what we stand for and look for in our athletes. With his impressive track record and determination, I have no doubt he will make a significant impact quickly on the PGA Tour and is one of the game’s future stars."

While Vilips heads into his rookie year on the PGA Tour with momentum both on and off the course, he's also known as one of the original Golf YouTubers with his dad, Paul, documenting his golf journey for more than a decade. 

Vilips' YouTube channel has videos that date all the way back to 2008 showing him as a six-year-old beating golf balls in his backyard. 

Vilips is set to make his first start as an official member of the PGA Tour later this week at the Mexico Open where he'll be wearing Sun Day Red from head to toe.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.