Did you catch any of this weekend’s professional golf action? We saw a gutsy major victory from one of the true stars in the women’s game, a battle down to the wire from four Titleist players in Italy and a break-through performance from a new young gun just beginning to make his mark.
All told, Titleist golf ball players collected three more victories over the weekend, bringing this season’s running total to 92 wins across golf’s worldwide professional tours. That’s more than six times the nearest competing golf ball brand with 14.
To date, the best golfers around the globe have put a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball in play 12,130 times in competition, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 1,713 and more than all competitors combined.
It’s a record of success that we’re extremely proud of and a vote of confidence from the players that we’re sincerely grateful for. Professional players rely on their equipment to earn their livings, so it's got to perform. And around the world, week in and week out, we’re pleased and honored that the vast majority of the world’s best players choose Titleist.
Let’s take a look at this past week’s Titleist tour highlights…
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Leading the action again this week, Ariya Jutanugarn (Pro V1x) prevailed on the fourth hole of a playoff to win the 73rd U.S. Women's Open. The 22-year-old from Thailand, who was coming off a victory at last week's Kingsmill Championship, played a clutch bunker shot at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club to within a foot of the hole to save par for the win. This marked Jutanugarn’s second major championship (her first came at the 2016 Women’s British Open) and the ninth LPGA Tour title of her career.
Among the field of 156 of players that assembled at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, 120 trusted a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, nearly 11 times the nearest competitor with 11 and more than all competitors combined.
Jutanugarn’s Major-winning performance marked the 10th victory for Titleist golf ball players through the first 13 LPGA Tour events this season, five times the nearest competitor with 2.
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It was a thrilling 1-2-3-4 Titleist golf ball finish at the Italian Open where Thorbjørn Olesen (Pro V1x) edged last week’s BMW PGA Championship winner, Francesco Molinari (Pro V1x), by a single shot. Lee Slattery (Pro V1x, 917D2 driver, 917F3 and 917F2 fairway metals, 910H hybrid, 718 CB irons, Vokey Design SM7 sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron R&D Concept putter), finished two shots off Thorbjorn’s mark and Rafa Cabrera Bello (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 915F 3/5 metals, 718 MB irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron T5 putter) finished solo 4th, another two shots back, as all four players fired all four rounds in the 60’s.
Home favorite Molinari birdied from 30 feet on his final hole, but Oleson made an up and down from a greenside bunker to complete a spotless final round 7-under par 64 and a come-from-behind 22-under 262 victory total.
The win marks the fifth career European Tour title for the 28-year-old Oleson.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Italian Open with 108 players trusting a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, more than four times the nearest competitor with 24.
Oleson’s winning performance marked the 16th victory for Titleist golf ball players through the first 20 European Tour events this season, eight times the nearest competitor with 2.
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Joey Garber (Pro V1x) fired a closing 5-under-par 66 at the Rex Hospital Open en route to an 18-under-par 266 victory total and his first career Web.com Tour title.
Garber, a 26-year-old rookie, finished one shot clear of two players, including Hank Lebioda (Pro V1x, 917D3 driver, 917F3 fairway metal, 818H2 hybrid, 718 AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron 009 putter) and Scott Langley (Pro V1x, Vokey Design SM7 pitching, gap, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron 009 putter), winner of the Panama Championship earlier this year.
Michael Johnson (Pro V1, 917D3 driver, 917F3 and 917F2 fairway metals, 718 AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron TSL putter) and Brian Campbell (Pro V1x, 917D2 driver, 917F2 fairway metals, 718 T-MB/AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter) tied for 4th, another shot back, as each the top five finishers trusted Titleist for their success.
In fact, Garber topped a leaderboard that featured 12 Titleist golf ball players among the 13 who finished in the top 10 and ties.
Garber stayed this week with fellow tour player Ben Kohles, and saw a Scotty Cameron putter in Kohles' garage. He made some slight adjustments to it, used it for his first victory and has no intention of giving it back after firing four consecutive rounds in the 60’s. "I might have to bribe him but I think it's staying in my bag," Garber said.
Titleist was the most played golf ball with 109 players trusting a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19.
Titleist was also the overwhelming top choice across the hybrid (28) and iron (46) categories. Vokey Design wedges topped the gap, sand and lob wedge category and Scotty Cameron putters were the field favorite with 59 models in play.
Garber’s winning performance marked the 9th victory for Titleist golf ball players through the first 13 Web.com Tour events this season, more than four times the nearest competitor with 2.
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Congratulations to all of #TeamTitleist!