Playing a Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash golf ball, Bryson DeChambeau conquered one of golf’s greatest tests at Pinehurst No. 2, combining power with precision to win the 124th United States Open Championship.
DeChambeau closed in 71 to finish the week at 6 under par, getting up-and-down for par from the front bunker on 18 to win by one. He hit the 55-yard shot to near-perfection, stopping his Left Dash within four feet of the hole to set up the winning putt.
DeChambeau gained more than 12 shots on the field tee-to-green over the 72 holes (+12.442/3rd), including more than eight shots on approach shots (+3.828/13th) and around the green (+4.270/10th).
Bryson DeChambeau made the move to Pro V1x Left Dash last season from a competitive brand, having gone through the fitting process with Fordie Pitts and Doug Jones of Titleist Golf Ball R&D. DeChambeau tested several models, but quickly found the best fit with Pro V1x Left Dash, designed for players seeking a high flight similar to Pro V1x with dramatically lower full swing spin and firmer feel.
“Bryson is clearly a high-speed player who generates a lot of spin. Left Dash matched up perfectly for his launch conditions, while still giving him all the performance he needs on approach shots and into the green,” Pitts said.
Said DeChambeau, when asked about his golf ball after Saturday’s third round: “It’s not a spinny golf ball, and you need a lot of spin to control the golf ball around here. But it’s what I’m comfortable with. It’s what I like using for my irons. It’s what flight I need for wind.”
DeChambeau has finished T6 or better in four of seven major championship starts since moving to Pro V1x Left Dash.
When choosing between Pro V1, Pro V1x and Pro V1x Left Dash golf balls, there are key performance differences between models that are relevant when considering which ball is the best fit for one’s game. Each model is differentiated based upon flight, spin, and feel. Pro V1 has a mid-flight trajectory, lower spin in the long game and a softer feel compared to Pro V1x, which flies higher, spins more in the long game and has a slightly firmer feel. Pro V1x Left Dash has a high flight, similar to Pro V1x, with significantly lower full swing spin and a firmer feel. Each golfer’s game is different, and selecting the model that meets your unique flight, spin, and feel requirements is key to playing your best.
At the 1949 U.S. Open at Medinah Country Club, more players chose to put a Titleist golf ball in play than any other brand, with 32 (20%) of the 159-player field teeing up a Titleist. For the first time, Titleist was the #1 ball at the U.S. Open Championship.
At every U.S. Open since, Titleist golf balls have been the top choice of players competing for a place in history.
Of the 156 players at Pinehurst, 101 (65%) played a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x model, more than four times the nearest competitor with 25 (16%) and more than all other golf balls combined. That includes the champion as well as seven of the top-11 finishers.
Titleist GT – the next generation of PGA TOUR’s most played driver – launched last week on the PGA TOUR, with 13 players immediately putting the new models in the bag at the Memorial. This week at Pinehurst for the 124th U.S. Open, 19 players had a GT2, GT3 or GT4 driver in the bag. That includes the No. 8 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, who put in a NEW GT2 9.0 driver at the start of the week before finishing T3, tied for his best major result. He gained 1.05 strokes off the tee (7th) in the final round and hit 11 of 14 fairways. The 2013 Masters champion also switched to a GT2 10.0 driver before making his 92nd straight major championship start, the longest active streak.
Titleist was the most played driver at the U.S. Open with 56 (36%) in play, 20 more than the nearest competitor.
GT drivers also launched on the LPGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour this week. At the Meijer LPGA Classic, 12 players made the immediate move to NEW GT drivers in their first week, including Titleist Brand Ambassadors Frida Kinhult (GT3 9.0), Emily K. Pedersen (GT3 10.0) and Jin-Hee Im (GT3 9.0) as well as the 2021 Women's British Open champion (GT3 9.0).
At the Wichita Open, Titleist was the most played driver with 51 (32%) in play compared to 39 (25%) for the nearest competitor. Of those 51 Titleist drivers, 25 were NEW GT2, GT3 or GT4 models.
On the third hole of a sudden-death playoff, Lilia Vu rolled in her Pro V1x for her seventh birdie in nine holes Sunday, emerging from extra holes to win her fifth LPGA Tour title. Over 18 holes in regulation and the three-hole playoff, Vu made 10 birdies to zero bogeys, coming all the way back from eight shots off the lead to start the day. Her final round 7-under 65 was the lowest round of the day by two, giving Vu the clubhouse lead at 16 under before she closed the door in extra holes.
Vu was in complete control of her Pro V1x on Sunday, hitting 12 of 13 fairways and 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
At the start of last season, Lilia Vu made the move to 2023 Pro V1x from the prior generation Pro V1x. During testing, Vu found the ball gave her lower spin numbers with her irons and wedges, landing her in a more playable spin window, without sacrificing spin in the short game. She won in her first start with it, earning her first career LPGA title. She went on to win three more times that year, including two majors – the Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s British Open.
"When this ball came out, I was very excited to try it in the offseason and the spin was in the range that my team and I were looking for,” said Vu. “And it was just a very seamless transition, and then started the year off really hot and just knew that this was the ball for me.”
“I was very confident the entire year with it. Never had to second-guess the ball... I think [there were] a lot of high pressure situations last year where I just had to pull off the shot and not think about anything else. And yeah, I think I talk about this a lot, just the golf ball being a big game changer for me from the 2022 season to the 2023 season.”
“I go No. 1 on the first day, 2 on the second, 3 on the third. On the fourth I use the 4, but I write five in front of it because I think, I don't know if this is the way my parents taught me growing up, but they don't like the number four, so I add the number five like 54. I don't know why I've always liked it, but I just always have, and I mean it's a great number to try and shoot, right? But yeah, I've always put a five in front of it and then just love it like that.”
The winner of the Meijer LPGA Classic earned her fifth career LPGA victory while gaming Vokey Design wedges (SM9 56.10S, 60.08M) and a Scotty Cameron GoLo 5 putter for her short game setup.
Taylor Dickson (Pro V1) shot a final round 5-under 65 to win by one shot and earn his second KFT victory of the season. Dickson carded four rounds of 68 or better (64-64-68-65) around Crestview Country Club, good for a 19-under total. He led the field in Scrambling, getting his Pro V1 up-and-down in 18 of 20 attempts, and he ranked T8 in Greens in Regulation (52/72, 72%).
Seven of the top-eight finishers in Wichita played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, along with 74% of the field.
The winner of the Wichita Open had three Vokey Design SM9 wedges (50.08F, 54.10S and 60.08M) in his winning setup. He was a field-best 18-for-20 in Scrambling and 4-for-5 in Sand Saves (T8).
Seungui Ro (Pro V1x) captured her first career KLPGA victory – and first KLPGA major title – in wire-to-wire fashion. Ro began the week with three straight 68’s before closing with a 1-under 71 to win by four shots.
Nine of the 11 players finishing inside the top 10 and ties played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, including each of the top four.
Amy Taylor (Pro V1x) carded rounds of 70-67-69 to post 10 under, good for a one-shot win and her first LET title. Taylor jumped 97 spots in the LET Order of Merit to No. 21 in the standings.
MJ Viljoen (Pro V1x) claimed his third Sunshine Tour title with an emphatic, six-shot victory. Viljoen shot a Sunday 7-under 65 to pull away from the chasing pack, having started Sunday with a one-shot lead.
In addition to his Pro V1x golf ball, the winner of the Mopani Zambia Open used a full bag of Titleist equipment in winning for the third time on the Sunshine Tour:
WITB | Mopani Zambia Open Champion: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball; TSR3 9.0 driver; TSR3 15.0 fairway; TSR3 21.0 hybrid; 620 MB 4-P irons; NEW Vokey Design SM10 50.08F, 54.08M, 58.04T; Scotty Cameron Phantom 5s putter
China Tour rookie Zihao Jin (Pro V1) earned his first career victory in runaway fashion, shooting rounds of 69-67-68-67 to post 17 under, four clear of second place.
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- Eric Soderstrom
- Director, Tour Communications
- eric_soderstrom@acushnetgolf.com
- 508-979-3028