Prodigy ‘Koala’ Karl Vilips joins Rory McIlroy, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith, Adam Scott in field at Royal Melbourne
Vilips was born in Jakarta and moved to Australia with his father Paul when he was young.
Addicted to golf from an early age, Vilips was swinging metal clubs by the age of four. He finished the junior world championships in seventh place with half a set of bats in six.
According to those close to him, his dedication was a trait that set him apart from other golf prodigies.
Golf Australia boss James Sutherland said: “Karl is one of the young stars of world golf and has a bright future ahead of him. We are excited to watch him showcase his skills on home soil in front of the huge crowd at Royal Melbourne.”
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Fellow entrant Marc Leishman is taking an unconventional route in his preparations, starring in the WA Open at Mount Lawley this week.
Leishman will also attend the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland in the last week of November.
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