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During this week’s PGA Championship, there is a rookie to keep an eye on.\u00a0 In this age of technology and the internet, some people seemingly pop up out of nowhere in any sort of community.\u00a0 Golf has a few of these, such as the Good Good Golf Show and Rick Shiels, who partnered with LIV Golf<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0This week, one of the original golf YouTube stars is on the field.\u00a0 Karl Vilips will be teeing off after being encouraged by his father for his whole life.<\/span><\/p>\n Karl Vilips is an Australian golfer who was playing all sorts of sports at age 2.\u00a0 He eventually found a love for golf and was encouraged by his dad, Paul Vilips.\u00a0 It was mostly playing with plastic toddler equipment until his skill improved enough to be taken to a real course.\u00a0 All the while, Vilips Senior was recording it all on video.\u00a0 When YouTube started gaining more traction in 2008, and the PGA made its official channel, that\u2019s when Paul Vilips began uploading videos of his son playing golf.\u00a0 In an interview, Paul Vilips described how it was originally just clips<\/a>, and it evolved with help from the comment section.\u00a0 He was doing this to fund Karl\u2019s golf ambitions.\u00a0 With some marketing know-how from Paul, he was able to give his son the exposure needed to kickstart his golf career.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWithout it, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to get everything I\u2019ve gotten up to this point,\u201d Vilips said. \u201cMy dad had a vision, and it panned out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The funding from the channel gave the Vilips\u2019 what they needed to get Karl better training and get him to the US for tournaments, and eventually move there.\u00a0 All this despite the people around them at home doubting how effective it would be.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot everybody\u2019s on the same page as us crazy parents, because we all think our kid\u2019s going to make it to the PGA TOUR,\u201d Paul Vilips said. \u201cEven the head professionals at clubs would come up to me and say, \u2018Why are you wasting yours and other people\u2019s time on your dreams with your son, because don\u2019t you realize the ridiculously small odds of your son making it?\u2019 And my usual reply would be, \u2018So what you\u2019re saying then, is that there is a chance.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nWho Is Karl Vilips?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Turning Pro<\/span><\/h2>\n