The Pro V1 was introduced in October 2000 at the PGA Tour’s Invensys Classic in Las Vegas, but Titleist had been developing the ball for about five years, trying to blend the short-game spin and control of wound balata-covered balls with the distance of two-piece, solid-core balls.
The Pro V1’s large rubber core, firm mantle layer and soft urethane cover created more distance off the tee, consistency with irons and spin control with wedges for players in prototype testing. At the Invensys Classic that week in 2000, Titleist hoped the seeding process would convince 20 to 25 players to use the ball, and Mac Fritz, then senior vice president of tour promotion, brought 60 dozen golf balls to the tournament.
That turned out to be an underestimation, as 47 players immediately switched to the Pro V1, including that year’s tournament winner Billy Andrade as well as runner-up Phil Mickelson.
In the weeks that followed, the buzz surrounding the Pro V1 grew and demand swelled, prompting Titleist to move the ball’s retail release forward from March 2001 to December 2000.
MORE: 2025 Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x debuts at Shriners
Within four months of Andrade’s win in Las Vegas, the Pro V1 became the best-selling golf ball in the marketplace – a position it has held ever since.
Six months after Andrade’s victory in Las Vegas, the Pro V1 was the most-played ball at the 2001 Masters, and Retief Goosen used it to win the 2001 U.S. Open.
Titlelist says the Pro V1 accounts for more than 4,000 worldwide professional victories on different tours.
On Monday, as pros arrived at the practice area at TPC Summerlin to prepare for this week’s Shriners Children’s Open, they were greeted by white boxes containing the newest versions of Titleist’s flagship golf balls: the 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: This is the 25th year since Titleist introduced what would become the most popular ball in golf
