[ad_1]
Amateur Karl Vilips will be among seven Australian golfers teeing off at next week’s US Open at LA Country Club, after winning a spot through final qualifying.
The 21-year-old West Australian will join players including Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Jason Day in the third of golf’s four major championships this year.
Known as Koala Karl, Vilips was the only one of 13 Australian golfers to earn one of the 45 spots on offer to the 645 players in US Open Final Qualifying.
Vilips, who is on scholarship at Stanford University where famous alumni include Tiger Woods, collected co-medallist honours with US amateur Isaac Simmons at Woodmont Country Club in Maryland.
A two-time Junior Presidents Cup representative, Vilips opened with a round of three-under-par 68 on Monday morning and followed up with a one-under 70 to finish at four-under and secure a maiden major appearance.
Of the Australians who missed out, Marc Leishman came closest, also at Woodmont.
Two shots from the lead at the start of the second round, Leishman had a run of four bogeys on his front nine to turn in two-over.
He dropped another shot to sign for a three-over 74, finishing tied for eighth.
Hailing from Perth, Vilips first came to notice within world golf when he won the US Kids World Championship at just seven years of age.
Raised by his dad, he moved to the US when he was 14 to attend boarding school in Florida.
[ad_2]
Source link
