WATCH: The win that kickstarted Titleist’s ProV1’s amazing 25 year dominance of tour golf
Titleist dominates the professional scene.
Take a glance at any leaderboard and you’ll be provided with proof: the name Titleist next to all the golfers using its products.
First revealed in 2000, and hitting the consumer market in December of that year, we’ve now experienced fully a quarter of a century of the legendary Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
They fly far, they spin, they feel great off the putter.
What’s not to like?!
But who was the first winner with one in play?
Perhaps surprisingly it was Billy Andrade with the first generation of Pro V1.
A four-time winner on the PGA Tour it was his final victory in October 2000 at the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas which broke the dam.
The story is told in this excellent little video.
“Going into Vegas I was 180th in the money list,” Andrade explains.
“I’d signed up for Q School and hadn’t done that in 20 years.
“There were only three more tournaments left.”
In other words, his prospects were bleak but he had some hope on arrival in Sin City.
“I got to Vegas and this white box was in our lockers,” he says.
“It’s this new ball that we’ve heard about and tested it occasionally. But (they feeling was) when is it coming out, when is it coming out? And then all of a sudden out it came.”
Great timing for Andrade.
“I shot a couple of 67s the first two days,” he explains. “And I was like, whoa, where did this come from?
“In the third round I shot 63 and now I’m tied for the lead or right around it.
“I wasn’t afraid of the position I was in going into the weekend.
“I was thinking, you know what, I’m gonna win this thing, it’s my opportunity.
“And to do what I did, to win – amazing.
“To win with this golf ball, simply amazing.”
What is it that makes the ball special?
“Distance, distance control, around the greens, everything about the ball was just fabulous.
“I am really honoured. I was the first one. That’s something that I’ll never ever forget.”
And since Andrade’s win?
Pro V1 and Pro V1x have helped Titleist celebrate over 4,000 wins worldwide.
READ MORE: PGA Tour winner borrowed new Pro V1x balls – and then won in Japan
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