Karl Vilips is back in action! The 23-year-old has been eagerly waiting to break into the PGA Tour for a while now. His recent performances in the Korn Ferry Tour have helped him stand out. Fast-forward to 2025, the Australian was looking to find a place on the PGA Tour. He thought that he would finally get a shot in the Cognizant Classic starting February 27. Vilips was pumped to finally return to the PGA Tour after his brief appearances in the 2023 U.S. Open. But the dream was shockingly crushed, thanks to Jordan Spieth.

He came off an amazing win at the 2024 Utah Championship with a 2 stroke lead against the field. His second-round effort of 9-under 62 was the highlight of the tournament as he scored so low despite conceding a double bogey on the 10th hole. Consistency in all four rounds ensured that he lifted the title on August 4, 2024.

Coming back to the matter at hand, the sponsor exemption was awarded to the out-of-form Spieth instead of Vilips in an effort to boost the tournament’s ratings. This has been a common occurrence recently as the three-time major winner has faced a lot of backlash for robbing exemption spots from talented players.

What’s so shocking about this time around, though, is that in his 12 years in the PGA Tour, Spieth has never played at the Cognizant Classic. So, his choosing to accept the exemption was extremely unexpected. Fans expressed their disappointment with the update as everyone shared the general sentiment of “We want Vilips.” But things are looking promising for Vilips again, who has been announced as a replacement for another player. As tweeted by the PGA TOUR Communications, “Saturday field update for the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: Tyler McCumber – WD; Karl Vilips – IN.” This confirms that Karl Vilips will be a part of the field at the PGA National Members Club on February 27.

Fans loved the fact that Karl Vilips was back in the tournament. Let’s see how they expressed it in the comments section.

Jordan Spieth is still in and a win for Karl Vilips

Yes, Jordan Spieth is still in the field, as he will have a positive impact on the viewership of the event. That will mean that more fans will be watching Karl Vilips perform in the PGA National Members Club, as someone stated, “Justice for Karl.” They definitely believe that Vilips deserved the spot on the field more than Spieth. Once the update about Jordan Spieth dropped some 90 minutes after the full field was revealed, the fans were left in a frenzy. That’s because it meant that he would be the first alternate. Talk about trumping someone who made the cut beforehand!

And considering his most recent performances, it’s fair to say that the 23-year-old is certainly doing something right. Remember when he was voted the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Rookie by his fellow members? Yeah, that. Of course, one can’t really forget about those consecutive top-15 finishes before a runner-up spot at the NV5 Invitational in Illinois, as they must’ve felt great.

Another commented, “Tiger made a call.” For anyone who doesn’t know, Karl Vilips is the first ambassador of Tiger Woods’ Sun Day Red brand. Hence, seeing that Vilips didn’t make the field, the fans believe that the GOAT had a stern conversation with Jay Monahan & Co. to get him in.

Another fan seems to be an avid supporter of the young Vilips as they tweeted, “We’re back.” Vilips might yet have a lot to achieve in the PGA Tour, but he almost had a banging start. He turned pro after a No. 10 finish in the 2024 PGA Tour University Ranking and started by playing on the PGA Tour Americas, making 2 starts before his infamous Korn Ferry Tour debut in July. And the rest, as we know, is history!

There were a couple of comments that were similar to “Now include @wesleybryangolf.” They were directed toward a much more experienced candidate named Wesley Bryan. The 1x PGA Tour winner has performed impressively in the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open. He made it to the top 25 in the challenging conditions at the Torrey Pines to grab the attention of the fans.

One of the fans simply said “good,” as they were happy with the PGA Tour’s decision.

Are you also excited to see Karl Vilips on the 2025 Cognizant Classic field? Share your views in the comments section.