Hey Team Titleist,
It was a Men’s Major season to remember for Titleist golf balls, with Pro V1 and Pro V1x sweeping the calendar. That’s right, the one piece of equipment that was used on every shot en route to every men’s major victory of 2022 was a Titleist golf ball. And on top of that, Titleist golf balls were the overwhelming field favorite with 65% of players teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x across all the majors with the nearest competitor coming in at 13%.
In May it was Brand Ambassador Justin Thomas’ playoff triumph at Southern Hills for his second career major victory, with his Pro V1x.
Coming into the day seven shots back of the lead, Thomas played his last 13 holes (including the playoff) in 6-under-par. Making the move to the 2021 Pro V1x at the Mayakoba Classic in December of 2020, Thomas hasn’t looked back.
“I feel like [the Pro V1x] is able to kind of pick up on some of the areas that I was trying to improve in terms of I was trying to get a little bit more height on the ball, trying to be able to hold greens a little bit better when they get firm or with long irons,” said Thomas. “I feel like this ball has been able to do that for me. I need [the ball] to do what it feels like I’m making it do. When I hit a shot, when I make the swing, when I look up and my eyes meet the ball, I want it to be in the window. I want it to be in and expect it to be in and perform the way I want and expect it to perform on the green. When you say it like that, it’s expecting a lot, but they (R&D) somehow seem to do it.”
In June it was a home game for Titleist, with the U.S. Open coming back to The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts for the fourth time.
Breaking through for his first major victory at the site of his 2013 U.S. Amateur victory was Pro V1x loyalist Matthew Fitzpatrick. Ranking 2nd in SG: Off the Tee, tied for 1st in Greens in Regulation, and 1st in SG: Short Game, Fitzpatrick came away with a one-shot victory.
“You just know, hitting other golf balls, that as soon as you’ve hit it, it doesn’t have the same effect,” said Fitzpatrick. “I’ve messed around with balls on the range when they’ve been mixed into the Pro V1x bag that I always go to grab, and they just get funky flights, said Fitzpatrick. “I don’t know how you can play golf with that, to be honest, and not knowing what you’re going to get from shot to shot. If I’m hitting shots and I’ve got the right club, the spin’s always in the same region and it’s very, very consistent,” said Fitzpatrick. “But I know if I switch out the shaft or change the loft or whatever, then obviously that spin and the other factors fluctuate with the ball. But for me, the big thing is the consistency of the ball that I use. It makes a massive difference in my game.”
Rounding out the Men’s Major season, it was the second win of the year for a Titleist Brand Ambassador, with Cameron Smith earning his first major win, lifting The Claret Jug at the home of golf, St. Andrews.
Smith’s one-shot victory at the 150th Open Championship was spurred on by his Sunday 64, and his tremendous back nine 30, which included five straight birdies from holes 10-14. A Pro V1x loyalist as well, Smith’s victory in Scotland is his third of the season.
“The biggest thing for me with the [2021 Pro V1x] is the cover and the stickiness it gives me around the greens,” said Smith. “I feel as though I can hit a lot of different scoring shots into and around the green... For me, when I tested it, it was a bit hotter off the driver, which was great. The windows were great. The spin was still the same. The irons were basically the same which I love. But for me, the biggest thing that stuck out was the control coming out of the rough and around the greens. So, like inside 40-50 yards, just the stickiness of it. I feel as though I can control my shots, especially those difficult, soft shots, just so much better with that new cover they got on there. … I love to be creative around the green, so hitting those high, spinny shots and just being able to hit different shots is really important for me. This ball is fantastic in the wind,” he said. “It’s just consistent. I feel like I can really dial in my numbers, especially with the shorter irons, and give myself plenty of birdie looks.”
Congratulations again to our 2022 Major Champions and thanks again to each and every member of Team Titleist who puts their trust in Titleist golf balls – and thanks to all of you for making us the #1 ball in golf!