He used the same GT3 driver to hit one of the most clutch drives in major championship history at last year’s U.S. Open, driving the green at Oakmont’s 314-yard par-4 17th to set up the go-ahead birdie with one hole to play. The champion pulled driver again on the 18th tee, striping it 308 yards down the middle of the fairway and putting himself in prime position to close out the tournament.
“I think if there was more wind I would have hit 3-wood, but I knew I was one back of the lead, I wanted to be aggressive and take driver, just kind of hit like a 90-percent driver,” he said after his round today. “I kind of had a flash of my tee shot at Oakmont at the U.S. Open last year on 17 on Sunday where I drove the green and ended up making birdie. It was kind of a nice image that I had in my mind before I pegged it and hit the shot. Yeah, I stepped in there and put a really good swing on it.”
INSIDE THE CHAMPIONS’ TITLEIST DRIVER SETUP
Since making the switch to a Titleist GT driver, the 2025 U.S. Open champion has now won twice on the PGA TOUR with 12 top-10’s (including runner-up finishes at the 2025 PLAYERS and FedEx St. Jude) while moving from 169th in the OWGR to his current ranking of 5th.
The winner first switched into a GT from a competitor’s driver at the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic, his first start after the models had launched on tour. He initially put a GT2 driver straight in the bag, having seen increased ball speed from his previous gamer. A few starts later, at the 3M Open, he worked with Titleist Tour Rep Larry Silveira to dial in his spin rates, which led him to the slightly lower-spinning GT3.
Prior to making the move to GT, he was ranked 146th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (–.285 through the 2024 RBC Canadian Open). After using GT for the remainder of the season, his driving stats had already begun to improve, as he finished 2024 ranked 111th in SG: OTT (–0.016).
He ended the 2025 season 41st on tour, gaining an average of +.291 strokes on the field off the tee, an improvement of over 100 spots from his position before the switch.
GTS MOMENTUM CONTINUES AT VALERO
NEW GTS drivers continue to earn their way into the bags of the world’s best, with 34 GTS models in play in just their second week on the PGA TOUR, more than any other brand’s total number of drivers (nearest competitor: 27). Overall, Titleist was the most played driver at the Valero Texas Open with 44% of the field (59 players) gaming a Titleist driver, including each of the top-4 finishers and five of the top 6.
Fifteen players made the move to NEW GTS2 and GTS3 drivers for the first time this week at TPC San Antonio, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert MacIntyre (GTS2 9.0), who finished runner-up at 16 under.
Early last week, MacIntyre paid a visit to the Titleist Performance Centre at Woburn to dial in his driver setup with Titleist’s Director of Tour Promotions, Liam MacDougall. One of the first GTS setups MacIntyre tested stood out immediately, after it checked off on each of his performance priorities, including holding up to his shot-shaping method of moving strike location across the face. GTS2 went right in the bag.
This week, his first start with the new setup, he gained over three shots (+3.282, 5th) on the field off the tee. Perhaps his most clutch swing of the week came on the 71st hole, three shots back of the clubhouse leader. MacIntyre pulled his new GTS2 gamer and drove it 319 yards onto the putting surface, 16-and-a-half feet from the cup. He converted the eagle to reach 16 under and remain firmly in the tournament.
“I’ve been driving the ball nice. Got a new Titleist driver in the bag…, ” MacIntyre said after Round 2. “Yeah, spin’s been very good, been able to shape it. To me a big thing’s to be able to shape the golf ball especially when it’s windy. Two rounds in with it, so far, so good.”
Robert MacIntyre: NEW GTS2 9.0 driver | D•4 SureFit hosel | Graphite Design Tour AD DI-7 X
LPGA
Event: Aramco Championship (Shadow Creek)
Winner: Lauren Coughlin (7-under 281)
Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1
Lauren Coughlin (Pro V1) delivered a clinical performance to lock up her third career LPGA title, winning in a wire-to-wire, five-shot runaway in Las Vegas.
“I was hitting my numbers all day, and this course, if you’re hitting your spots and numbers, it will give you birdies. If you miss them, it can be very, very difficult,” said Coughlin after Round 1.
With the win, she is projected to climb to 8th in the Race to CME Globe rankings.
COUGHLIN ON HER MOVE TO PRO V1
Coughlin has played Pro V1 since the 2023 Women’s Scottish Open, where she moved out of her previous Pro V1x model seeking a more controlled, penetrating flight in the wind.
Said Coughlin: “I saw a huge benefit and an improved ball flight with [Pro V1]. So then I just kind of stuck with it the rest of the year and I’ve been using it ever since.”
The move paid off, as she went on to win twice the following year and go undefeated in her first Solheim Cup appearance (3-0-1).
“Controlling my distance I would say is my biggest strength, in terms of I can take a little bit off this if I need to and [the ball] can go a couple yards shorter, or if I really need to step on something, it can go a couple yards longer. Just having that confidence that it’s going to do what I want it to do is very high.”
AMATEUR
Event: Augusta National Women’s Amateur (Augusta National Golf Club)
Winner’s score: 14-under 202
Winner’s equipment:
Titleist Pro V1x golf ball
TSR3 9.0 driver | Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 4 R
GT3 18.0 fairway | Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 5 R
T200 5–P irons | Mitsubishi Tensei R
Vokey Design SM10 48.10F, 52.12F, 56.08M | Nippon NS Pro Zelos 7
Scotty Cameron Phantom Black 7 putter
- Her 14-under 202 total set the tournament scoring record by two shots.
- The ANWA champion, who is also the reigning NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual champion, was the only player to post all three rounds in the 60’s after playing her opening 36 hole at Champions Retreat in 10-under par (65-69), with just one bogey.
- The champion, runner-up and six of the top-8 finishers played Titleist golf balls, drivers, irons, Vokey Design wedges and Scotty Cameron putters.
- In total, 51 players out of 72 (71%) teed up the #1 ball in golf this week in Augusta — more than five times the nearest competitor.
- More of the elite amateur field also put their trust in the performance of Titleist drivers (36%), fairways (32%), utilities (94%), irons (33%) and Vokey wedges (44%) than any other brand.
WITB| 2026 ANWA Runner-up
Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
GT2 10.0 driver | Mitsubishi Tensei AV 55 S
GT2 15.0 fairway | Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 65 S
GT2 18.0 fairway | Mitsubishi Tensei AV 65 S
TSR2 21.0 hybrid | Mitsubishi Tensei AV 65 S
T150 5–P irons | True Temper AMT S300
T100 PW | True Temper AMT S300
Vokey Design SM10 50, 54, WedgeWorks 58 wedges | True Temper AMT S300
Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport putter
TITLEIST IS #1 BALL AT ANWA; 1-2 FINISH FOR TITLEIST GOLF BALL PLAYERS
Twelve of the top 13 players heading into the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, including the eventual champion who made two clutch birdies over the final six holes with her Pro V1x.
The ANWA champ also led a 1-2 finish for Titleist golf ball players. In total, 51 competitors teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball at ANWA, five times the nearest competitor (9).
TITLEIST EQUIPMENT IS TOP CHOICE OF ANWA COMPETITORS
Among those competing for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur title, more players used Titleist drivers (26/36%), fairways (43/32%), utilities (16/94%), irons (24/33%) and Vokey wedges (97/44%) than any other brand.
The ANWA champion gamed a TSR3 driver, GT3 fairway, T200 irons, three Vokey SM10 wedges and a Scotty Cameron Phantom Black 7 putter among her Titleist setup.
