Billy Horschel Becomes the First American to Win a European Tour Rolex Series Event

By Zack R., Team Titleist Staff On 13 September 2021 Balls Tour Clubs

EUROPEAN TOUR | BMW PGA Championship

Billy Horschel became the first American winner of a European Tour Rolex Series event, getting his Pro V1 golf ball up-and-down from 91 yards on the par-5 18th at Wenworth Golf Club’s West Course Sunday to claim a one-shot victory.

  • Horschel played his final 29 holes without a bogey, including a flawless final-round 7-under 65 that featured four back-nine birdies.
  • For the week, Horschel played the back-nine in 17 under par, carding 17 birdies without a blemish.
  • Horschel – also a winner on the PGA TOUR this season at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship – led the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green (+3.65).

HORSCHEL ON HIS PRO V1

“The control of the Titleist golf ball is by far better than any ball on the market. When you hit a shot, when you try to hit a five-yard draw, you want that ball to turn five yards. You don’t want it to draw 10 yards, or you don’t want it not to draw. When you’re trying to hit a little chip that you want to spin, bounce two times and check, you don’t want to be thinking in the back of your mind, ‘Is this golf ball going to do what I want it to do?’ To be able to control the golf ball is such a vital key in the game of golf. Doesn’t matter what level you’re at. When you’re expecting a shot to turn out a certain way, control-wise, and that golf ball is not doing what you want, you have an issue – and with a Titleist golf ball, I’ve never had an issue once.”

CHAMPION CHOOSES 13 TITLEIST CLUBS

The winner of the BMW PGA Championship relied on a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball and 13 Titleist clubs, including three TSi metalwoods, as he moved to No. 18 in the World Ranking.

  • The champion – who finished the week third in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+1.28) – was one of the first players to get fit into a Titleist TSi driver when the models debuted on TOUR last September.
  • He put his TSi3 immediately in play in his first opportunity at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, switching from a competitive brand, and has had it in the bag ever since.
  • “The combination of speed and stability he was seeing with TSi3 was so good that he decided to make the switch right away at the U.S. Open,” said J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist’s Director of Player Promotions.
  • He also plays two TSi2 (15.0°, 18.0°) fairway metals. 
  • The winner also relied upon Titleist 620 CB (3) and MB (5-PW) irons and three Vokey Design SM8 wedges (52.12F, 56.10S, 60.08V @ 62°), finishing the week first in Strokes Gained: Approach (+2.36) while hitting 80.5% greens in regulation (T2).
  • He finished the week third in scrambling at 78.6%.

WHAT’S IN THE WINNER’S BAG?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSi3 9.0° | Project X EvenFlow Riptide 60 6.5 TX
Fairway Metals: TSi2 15.0° | Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX, TSi2 18.0° | Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 6.5 TX
Irons: 620 CB 3-iron | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 and 620 MB MB 5-PW | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Vokey Design SM8 52.12 F, 56.10 S, 60.08 V (@ 62) | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Onyx S400

PGA TOUR / EUROPEAN TOUR | Ryder Cup

The 2021 U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams were finalized this week, with 19 of the 24 (79%) competitors currently gaming at least one piece of Titleist equipment:

  • Titleist will be most played golf ball among Ryder Cuppers, with 15 players (8 U.S., 7 Europe) using a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x.
  • The most popular model at Whistling Straits will be Pro V1x, played by Titleist Brand Ambassadors Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Ian Poulter, as well as Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Lee Westwood and the 2017 & 2018 U.S. Open Champion.
  • Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger plays Pro V1, along with Harris English, Viktor Hovland and Paul Casey.
  • Tony Finau and his U.S. teammate, who’s ranked 16th in the world, play Pro V1 Left Dot. 
  • No brand will have more drivers in play at the Ryder Cup, with seven players (T1) – Thomas, Cantlay, Spieth, Wiesberger and Poulter, plus the world’s 23rd- and 27th-ranked players – teeing up a Titleist.
  • 16 players, eight on each side, will take on Whistling Straits with at least one Vokey Design SM8 wedge in the bag – including World Nos. 3, 4 (Cantlay), 5, 6 (Thomas), 9, 10, 13, 14 (Spieth), 16, 21, 23 and 27.
  • There will be more Scotty Cameron putters in play (8) than any other brand – in the hands of Thomas, Cantlay, Spieth, Wiesberger, Poulter and World Nos. 9, 21 and 23.
  • At last week’s Solheim Cup, Titleist was the overwhelming most played golf ball with 21 of the 24 competitors – 11 of 12 on Team USA and 10 of 12 on Team Europe – playing a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x at Inverness.
  • Titleist was also tied at the top in drivers (6) and iron sets (6), while there were nine players with Vokey Design wedges in their bags, more than any other brand.

FORME TOUR | Forme Tour Championship

Titleist Brand Ambassador Brad Miller – playing a Pro V1 golf ball and full bag of Titleist equipment, including NEW T100 irons – won the Forme Tour’s season-finale, scrambling for par on the final hole to secure a one-shot victory in the weather-shortened 54-hole event. 

ALL FIVE FORME TOUR GRADS CHOOSE TITLEIST

  • All five Forme Tour graduates – each of whom earned a card on next season’s Korn Ferry Tour – played a Titleist golf ball.
  • Trevor Werbylo (Pro V1x) topped the Forme Tour points list, followed by (in order) Corey Shaun (Pro V1) and Titleist Brand Ambassadors Turk Pettit (Pro V1), Andrew Yun (Pro V1x) and Mac Meissner (Pro V1x).
  • All eight events on the 2021 Forme Tour were won with a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball.
  • Six were won by Vokey Design SM8 wedge players, while five winners gamed Titleist TSi drivers and Titleist irons.

WHAT’S IN BRAD MILLER’S BAG?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSi3 8.0°
Fairway Metal: TSi3 15.0°
Hybrid: 915 18.0°
Utility Iron: U•500 4
Irons: NEW T100 5-9
Wedges: Vokey Design SM8 48°, 52°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron Timeless tour prototype

KOREAN TOUR | Shinhan Donghae Open

Titleist Brand Ambassador Yoseop Seo captured his second win in three events on the KPGA, closing in 2-under 69 for a one-shot victory.

  • Seo, also the winner of this season’s KPGA Championship, has now won three career KPGA titles.
  • All of the top five finishers relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success, while four of the five played a Titleist TSi driver.
  • Seo is the 11th player in 12 events this season to win on the KPGA playing a Titleist golf ball.

WHAT’S IN YOSEOP SEO’S BAG?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSi3 8.0 °
Fairway Metals: TSi2 13.5° and 21.0°
Irons: 620 CB 4-9
Wedges: Vokey Design SM8 48.10 F, 54.10 S, 58.06 K 

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS | Ascension Charity Classic

David Toms claimed his second Champions Tour title, winning on the first hole of an all Pro V1x-playoff with Dicky Pride.

  • Toms closed with a bogey-free 5-under 66, while Pride rolled in an 18-footer for birdie on 18 for a 67 to force the playoff.
  • Brand Ambassador Jay Haas got up-and-down for birdie from a bunker on 18 to shoot his age (67), finishing one shot back in third.