Karl Vilips had plenty to celebrate on Sunday, securing his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Puerto Rico Open and cashing a winner’s check worth nearly three-quarters of a million dollars.

But one unexpected moment may have topped it all getting a message from Tiger Woods himself.

The PGA Tour rookie was stunned to receive both a text and a voicemail from the 15-time major champion following his breakthrough win.

In fact, the realization that Woods had reached out seemed even harder to grasp than his own victory, which came in just his fourth career start.

“I got on my phone after the round and I was scrolling through, like who is texting me?” Vilips told reporters. “And I think I got one from a random number that called me as well. And then there was a voicemail saying, ‘It’s Tiger,’ and I couldn’t like process it in the moment.”

It’s easy to understand why. Winning on the PGA Tour is a whirlwind experience, and getting a personal message from one of the sport’s greatest legends only added to the surreal nature of the moment.

Woods had good reason to reach out so quickly Vilips is the first brand ambassador for Tiger’s new Sun Day Red apparel line, aside from Woods himself.

That’s an immediate return on investment. And while Vilips wasn’t sporting the signature red, he shares another connection with Tiger: both played college golf at Stanford.

“I was just trying to, I’ll get back to that later,” Vilips said. “But that’s pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool” might be an understatement. And if there’s anyone who would understand not getting an immediate call back after a PGA Tour win, it’s the guy who’s been in that position a record-tying 82 times.

Calum Hill delivered a stunning final-round performance to claim victory at the Joburg Open, making history as the first Scottish player to win the tournament.

The 30-year-old surged from eight shots back with an incredible eight-under-par 62 before prevailing in a dramatic three-man playoff against South African contenders Shaun Norris and Jacques Kruyswijk.

Hill’s brilliant final round featured five birdies and a bogey on each nine, marking the lowest round of the tournament.

Despite starting the day well behind overnight leader Norris, he steadily closed the gap while Norris faltered.

A crucial birdie on the 18th put Hill in the clubhouse lead at 14-under, forcing both South Africans to respond. Kruyswijk matched him with a birdie on the 17th, while Norris barely salvaged his spot in the playoff with a clutch putt at the last to shoot an even-par 70.

All three players made par on the first playoff hole, returning to the 18th tee for another showdown. This time, Norris’ tournament hopes unraveled when he found the water on his approach.

Kruyswijk had a five-foot putt to extend the contest but sent it racing past the hole, handing Hill the victory with a simple tap-in for par.

The win marks Hill’s second DP World Tour title, following his triumph at the Cazoo Classic in August 2021.

It also catapults him up the Race to Dubai rankings, moving him to 11th place. Reflecting on his first-ever playoff experience, Hill admitted the victory took him by surprise.

“It’s awesome. I think that might be my first play-off ever,” he told Sky Sports. “It was a little bit by surprise at the end I thought we’d have to go again but I’m delighted. It was a fantastic day and winning was the cherry on top.”

The final leaderboard saw Hill, Norris, and Kruyswijk finish tied at 14-under, with Dylan Frittelli one shot back at -13.

Danie van Tonder (-12), Scott Vincent (-11), and England’s John Robinson-Thompson (-10) rounded out the top finishers.

With this victory, Hill not only etches his name in Joburg Open history but also reaffirms his place among the rising stars in European golf.

The Rules of Golf have once again sparked debate, this time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Wyndham Clark was granted a free drop during the second round at Bay Hill.

The decision left many fans puzzled and questioning the ruling on social media.

The Incident – A Pitch Mark Debate

On Friday, while playing the par 4 third hole, Clark’s tee shot landed in the middle of the fairway.

However, upon reaching his ball, he discovered it was sitting in a pitch mark a scenario that can lead to a tricky ruling.

Here’s where the confusion arose:

• If the ball had landed in another player’s pitch mark, Clark would not have been granted relief.
• However, since it was determined that the pitch mark was created by Clark’s own shot, he was entitled to a free drop under the embedded ball rule.

After taking relief, Clark went on to make par, but the decision quickly sparked debate online, with many comparing it to a similar ruling involving Paul Casey three years ago.

PGA Tour Issues a Statement

As questions flooded in, the PGA Tour Rules Committee reviewed the footage and confirmed that Clark had followed the correct procedure. In an official statement, they clarified:

“After reviewing ShotLink video of Wyndham Clark’s tee shot on the third hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the PGA Tour Rules Committee determined that the ball returned to its own pitch mark, which entitled Clark to free relief.”

A Similar Case: Paul Casey’s Unlucky Break

Clark’s ruling drew comparisons to Paul Casey’s misfortune at The Players Championship in 2022.

During the final round, Casey hit a perfect drive down the 16th fairway, only to find his ball resting in an old pitch mark.

Unlike Clark, he wasn’t eligible for relief, as the ball didn’t “plug” upon landing it simply rolled into another golfer’s previous mark.

This latest incident at Bay Hill serves as a reminder that the Rules of Golf can be complex—and sometimes, luck plays just as big a role as skill.