Hey, everyone,
It’s an exciting time for us here at Titleist, as this week marks a very special anniversary. Twenty years ago we unveiled the very first Pro V1 golf ball. The place was Las Vegas, at the 2000 Invensys Classic, where PGA TOUR players were first able to play the new Pro V1 in competition. Forty-seven players did just that, including the eventual winner, Billy Andrade.
The mass switch was the largest pluralistic shift in equipment ever seen at a Tour event and the Pro V1's unique combination of long distance off the tee, penetrating iron flight, high spin and soft feel in the short game and durability changed the face of the golf industry overnight.
Since its stunning debut, the Titleist Pro V1 has gone on to become the most enduring and successful piece of equipment in golf history - and quite possibly in all of sports history. For an entire generation of golfers, when it comes to quality, consistency and performance, there has only ever been Pro V1 and Pro V1x. For twenty years these products have been the benchmark, the standard of excellence to which all other golf balls aspire.
Here's a look back at Pro V1 through the years and the many different side stamps that we've seen. And in a few short months, we'll be adding the new 2021 Pro V1 and Pro V1x to the collection!
There have been countless Pro V1 highlights over the last two decades, but for me, a few come immediately to mind:
Jan. 28, 2001: I remember watching a lot of golf on tv during the winter of 2001. The buzz around Pro V1 was getting louder and louder and in January, Mark Calcavecchia raised it to a roar. He lapped the field playing Pro V1, setting or tying six all-time scoring records, including low 36-, 54- and 72-hole totals and total birdies over 72 holes. His entire game was phenomenal that week, but what really stood out to me was how accurate he was with his iron shots. He aimed at every flag and I don't think I've ever seen a player hit it that close, consistently, over the course of four days.
March 5, 2003: The introduction of the new Pro V1x was huge news and it was fun at the time to compare the two models side by side. I remember a lot of players, myself included, preferring the launch and carry of Pro V1x and switching to that model soon after. Definitely a worthy companion to Pro V1 throughout the years.
April 8, 2012: Pro V1x players Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen finish 1-2 at The Masters. Louis had an amazing double-eagle on the par-5 second hole, the first albatross on No. 2 in Masters’ history. But Bubba one-upped him on the second hole of their playoff, hitting a 40-yard hook with a gap wedge from the pine straw on No. 10. His ball curved impossibly around the pine trees and onto the green, 10 feet from the hole. A couple years later, Bubba recreated that shot for us a commercial shoot an it's even more impressive in person.
January 25, 2017: The new Titleist Pro V1 is launched, reengineered with a new 352-dimple design and a new 2.0 ZG Process Core that delivered longer distance on all shots through lower long game spin and faster ball speed. For a while, Pro V1x had the reputation of being longer than Pro V1, but in 2017, Pro V1 completely closed that gap, at least for me. I switched back to Pro V1 in 2017 and haven't looked back. I prefer Pro V1's lower flight a softer feel - and I don't feel like a leave a yard of distance on the table.
January 23, 2019: The New Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are introduced, for the first time in both white and high optic yellow. For years, many Team Titleist members had been asking for a yellow option in Pro V1 and I came to understand first-hand why it took so long. Teams in our Golf Ball R&D department were adamant that we wouldn't offer a colored option unless we could produce a premium appearance and high durability. Chemists in R&D had a breakthrough during the development of the 2019 AVX golf ball and with that new technology, high optic yellow options for Pro V1 and Pro V1x became a reality. It was worth the wait - they did it right.
What are some of your favorite Pro V1 moments from the past twenty years? We'd love to hear what stands out in your memory in the comments below. Thanks!