Titleist Begins Tour Seeding 2027 Pro V1, Pro V1x in Japan

Titleist has begun tour seeding its 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls at this week's Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club, moving the new models from limited testing into full tournament play.

How long has Titleist been testing the new ball?

Testing traces back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Harris English evaluated prototypes in practice rounds; Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and others tested it later. Four more players tried it at the Biltmore Championship a few weeks ago, where the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x reached the USGA Conforming List roughly three weeks before this week's debut in Japan.

Fordie Pitts, Titleist's director of tour research and validation, said testers have pushed to get the ball in play sooner. "I know we're onto something," Pitts said.

Three weeks from conforming-list approval to tournament debut is an aggressive runway, even for golf's dominant ball manufacturer.

Which players have already switched?

Neal Shipley made an early move to the 2027 Pro V1 at a PGA Tour event in Asheville, North Carolina, then posted a career-best round of 62 and a tie for third; three other players in that field switched as well. Robert MacIntyre moved to the new Pro V1 this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after testing it at Harbour Town in April with Titleist tour rep Liam McDougall. Doug Ghim played the new Pro V1x for the first time at the Bank of Utah Championship.

Titleist had 26 PGA Tour victories during the 2026 season as of the Biltmore Championship, 21 more than any other ball manufacturer. First introduced in 2000, the Pro V1 remains the most-played ball on tour, and the new models mark its 15th generation, with the Pro V1x in its 13th.