Howell and Ancer Add Two More Wins to Titleist Victory Total

Just a few weeks after Titleist introduced the new 2019 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls on The PGA TOUR, the new model joined a PGA TOUR player in the Winner's Circle.

On Sunday, longtime Titleist golf ball loyalist Charles Howell III ended an 11-year victory drought by winning the RSM Classic, recording the first win on the PGA Tour by a player trusting the New 2019 Pro V1 golf ball.

Howell, who was playing the New 2019 Pro V1 for the first time in competition, also relied on 13 Titleist golf clubs, including the new TS3 driver and two TS2 fairway metals, which he put into play for the first time at last month’s CIMB Classic.

Howell was joined by Abraham Ancer in recording wins for Titleist golf ball players this week. Players trusting their games to a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball have now accumulated 204 wins across the worldwide professional tours during the 2018 season. That's six times more wins than the nearest competing brand with just 33 and more than all competing brands combined.

Let’s take a closer look at this past week’s Titleist tour highlights…

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 Charles Howell III | Winner - RSM Classic

Golf Ball: New 2019 Pro V1

Driver: TS3 (10.5°) 

Fairway: TS2 (15°, 21°)

Irons: 718 T-MB (4), 718 AP2 (5-7), 718 CB (8-PW)

Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 gap (52.08 F-grind), sand (56.08 M-grind) and lob (60.08 M-grind)

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Howell's return to winning form marks the third PGA TOUR victory of his career. His previous wins came at the 2007 Nissan Open at Riviera CC and the 2002 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill.

In the first round at the RSM, Howell hit all 14 fairways and all 18 greens playing the new 2019 Pro V1golf ball and 13 Titleist clubs.

For the week, he finished 8th in Driving Distance (296.5), T12th in Driving Accuracy (84%) and 1st in Greens in Regulation (89%).

Titleist Brand Ambassador Webb Simpson finished solo 3rd, one shot out of the playoff. Simpson plays the Pro V1x golf ball, and like Howell, 13 Titleist golf clubs, including a new TS2 (15.0) fairway metal that he put into the bag for the first time this week.

 Titleist was the golf ball of choice at the RSM Classic, with a PGA TOUR record 83% of players (129 players in the field of 156) relying on a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than ten times the nearest competitor with 8% (12 players) and more than all competitors combined.

Titleist was also the top choice in hybrids (24) and irons (44) at this, the final PGA TOUR event on the 2018 calendar. Vokey Design Wedges topped the approach, sand and lob wedge (211) category and Scotty Cameron putters were the choice of more players than any other brand with 52 in play. 

Howell’s win marks the 17th victory for TS drivers across the worldwide professional tours and the third on the PGA TOUR (Michael Kim/John Deere Classic, Justin Thomas/WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) since its introduction.

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 Francesco Molinari | 2018 Race To Dubai Winner

Titleist golf ball player Francesco Molinari (Pro V1x) capped off a breakthrough season this weekend by winning the season-long Race to Dubai rankings, as the European Tour’s top points leader.

After a season that included his first major title at The Open, his first PGA TOUR victory at the Quicken Loans National, a win at the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship, and a record-breaking five of five points at The Ryder Cup, it is safe to say, Molinari had a career year.

Molinari switched from a competitive golf ball to the Titleist Pro V1x without an agreement in September 2016 when he was ranked 40th in the OWGR. He promptly finished T6 at the 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions and T4 at the season-ending DB World Tour Championship in his first two events.

Molinari’s momentum continued when he played the Pro V1x to start the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season and posted three consecutive top 10 finishes, and the rest is history. He finished 8th in the season-ending FedExCup Playoffs on the PGA TOUR this year and has vaulted to No. 6 in the world.

In fact, each of the top three finishers in this season’s Race to Dubai, including Molinari, the Masters champion (Pro V1) who finished 2nd (and was runner-up this week), and Tommy Fleetwood (Pro V1x), who finished 3rd, all transitioned to a Titleist golf ball from a competitive brand and saw their success on the golf course flourish and a rapid positive trajectory in their position in the world rankings.

This year’s PGA TOUR Player of the Year (Pro V1x) also switched back to a Titleist golf ball to start the 2017 calendar year and has since won four times, including three major championships. He also touched No. 1 position in the OWGR from No. 19 when he made the switch.

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 Abraham Ancer | Winner - Emirates Australian Open

Finally, another player who can be added to the list of players whose fortunes have turned since switching to Titleist from a competitor golf ball is Abraham Ancer. This week Ancer became the first player from Mexico to win on the Australasian Tour, winning the Emirates Australian Open by five shots.

Two years ago this week, Ancer was well outside the Top 300 in OWGR when he switched to the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball at the OHL Mayakoba Classic. He entered the Australian Open ranked No. 96 and is expected to advance as high as No. 60 following his victory on Sunday. His lone prior professional win came at the 2015 Nova Scotia Open.

Ancer topped a leaderboard that included each of the top 16 finishers trusting a Titleist golf ball for their success, including two amateurs who relied upon Titleist equipment throughout the bag.

Titleist Brand Ambassadors Dimi Papadatos (Pro V1x, TS3 driver, 917F fairway metal, TM-B 3-iron, AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter) and Jake McLeod (Pro V1x, TS3 driver and fairway metal, T-MB 2-iron, 718 AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges), last week's NSW Open champion, finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

All three players secured a start at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, as the Australian Open was part of The Open Qualifying Series.

 Ancer becomes the 13th consecutive Titleist golf ball player to win a PGA Tour of Australia event this year.

Titleist was the overwhelming top golf ball choice at the Australian Open with 121 players (84%) playing a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, more than 12 times the nearest competitor with 7% (10 players).

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Congratulations to all of #TeamTitleist!

Click here for a listing of all Titleist golf ball wins this season.