Shuri Sakuma Games Pro V1x En Route to Victory at the TOTO Japan Classic

By Zack R., Team Titleist Staff On 9 November 2026 Balls Tour Clubs

LPGA / JLPGA | TOTO Japan Classic

One week after earning her eighth JLPGA victory, Shuri Sakuma teed up her Pro V1x golf ball en route to a four-shot win and her first career LPGA title.

  • Sakuma, who began the final round three shots off the pace, closed with a flawless 8-under 64, tying the low round of the week.
  • She played her final eight holes Sunday in 6 under to pull away from the field for good.
  • The 23-year-old tallied 20 birdies and an eagle to just three bogeys over four rounds at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course and went bogey-free over the weekend.
  • Sakuma unlocks membership on the LPGA Tour with the win.

PGA TOUR | World Wide Technology Championship

RAPID ADOPTION CONTINUES FOR NEW 2027 PRO V1 AND PRO V1x GOLF BALLS ON PGA TOUR

Five more players made the move to the NEW 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls at the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship, including:

  • Michael Kim, who led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green on Sunday on his way to a runner-up finish in his first week with NEW Pro V1x; and
  • Ryan Gerard, who recorded his best single round around-the-green performance of the season (+1.981) on Saturday, while converting all seven of his scrambling opportunities in a third-round 65. He gained a total of +4.293 strokes around the green (3rd) for the week.

A total of 33 players have now teed up 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x on the PGA Tour since their introduction earlier this fall, including Maverick McNealy (Pro V1), Corey Conners (Pro V1x), Jordan Spieth  (Pro V1), Brian Harman  (Pro V1x) and Denny McCarthy (Pro V1).

  • This week in Mexico, McCarthy led the field in SG: Approach, gaining over nine strokes (+9.228) on the field with his NEW Pro V1.
  • Since putting 2027 Pro V1x in play, Doug Ghim has carded sub-70 scores in 11 of 12 rounds and is a combined 52 under par, solidifying his PGA Tour card for next season in the process.
    • During a late-August session at the Titleist Performance Institute (Oceanside, Calif.), Ghim saw improved performance with the new model while testing it through the bag with Titleist Tour Rep Nick Geyer.
    • Ghim soon became one of several players to express interest in gaming the 2027 models prior to their scheduled launch at the Baycurrent Classic.
    • He put it in play for the first time at the Bank of Utah Championship, carding rounds of 65-62-64-69 for a 24-under total and his best finish of the season (2nd).
    • At last week’s VidantaWorld Mexico Open, Ghim continued his fall surge with the next-generation Pro V1x, posting rounds of 65-68-64-69 on his way to a T6 finish. (He was not in the field this week.)
    • Ghim has jumped from 89th to 58th in the FedExCup Fall Standings since making the move (with Nos. 51-60 qualifying for next season's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational via the Aon Next 10).
  • Robert MacIntyre was also among the group of early adopters, teeing up new Pro V1 for the first time in Scotland at the DP World Tour’s Dunhill Links Championship before finishing T6.
    • The new model initially caught MacIntyre’s attention during a prototype testing session with Titleist’s Director of Tour Research & Validation Fordie Pitts earlier this year at Harbour Town during his Tuesday practice round at the RBC Heritage.
    • Last week, MacIntyre asked to book a session at the Titleist Performance Centre at Woburn (UK), where he worked with Titleist tour rep Liam McDougall to get dialed in with the new 2027 model.
    • MacIntyre also finished T9 in his only other start with the new model at the DP World India Championship.
  • Yusaku Hosono trusted the NEW Pro V1x to victory at last month’s Japan Open Golf Championship, earning invitations to the 2027 Masters and the 155th Open Championship, his first major starts.
    • A week earlier, Hosono was among 12 players who put the 2027 Pro V1 and Pro V1x in play at the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic in Japan as the global validation phase officially got underway.

KPGA | KPGA Tour Championship in Jeju

Playing a Titleist setup that includes his Pro V1 golf ball and NEW GTS3 driver, Jaehyun Jung captured his first career KPGA Tour title with a three-shot victory at the season-ending KPGA Tour Championship.

  • The 21-year-old, who finished runner-up in a playoff at last week's Lexus Masters, closed with a bogey-free 8-under 64, matching the course record.
  • Starting the final round one shot off the lead, Jung made four birdies on the front nine before adding birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 13 and 18 to pull away down the stretch.

What’s in the Bag? | Jaehyun Jung

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: NEW GTS3 10.0°
Fairway Metal: NEW GTS3 15.0°
Utility Iron: T200 2
Irons: 620 CB 4-5 and 620 MB 6-PW
Wedges: Vokey Design SM11 50.12F, 54.14F, 58.08M

KLPGA | DAEBO hausD Championship

Hyunjo Yoo stuck her approach to 4 feet on the 72nd hole and rolled in her Pro V1 for birdie to secure a one-shot victory at the KLPGA’s season finale.

  • Yoo carded five birdies against one bogey Sunday to post 68 (-4) and secure her third victory of the season.
  • She led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, picking up an average of +2.84 shots per round.
  • Yoo’s play this year cemented her second consecutive KLPGA scoring average title (70.68) and saw her finish third on the KLPGA Points list.

SUNSHINE TOUR | Telkom PGA Championship

Gaming an all-Titleist setup that includes his Pro V1x golf ball, NEW GTS2 driver, T-Series irons, Vokey SM11 wedges and Scotty Cameron putter, Louis Albertse posted rounds of 65-65-63-68 on his way to a three-shot victory and his fourth Sunshine Tour title.

  • Albertse made 30 birdies over the four days, including 10 of them during his third-round 63.
  • Albertse was one of 118 players (77%) who teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball at CC Johannesburg, more than three times the nearest competitor (31).

What’s in the Bag? | Louis Albertse

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: NEW GTS2 9.0°
Mini Driver: NEW GTS300 13.0°
Fairway Metal: GT2 16.5°
Irons: T250 3 and T100 4–9
Wedges: Vokey Design SM11 46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 58K*
Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType F5 SSS tour prototype

JGTO | ACN Championship

This week’s winner on the JGTO took home his 22nd JGTO title while gaming a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter.

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