5 Most Popular Golf Balls on the PGA Tour (2023 Guide)
PGA Tour athletes are usually sponsored by golf equipment manufacturers. But unlike a YouTube shoutout, the athletes getting sponsored by the brands have to actually use the products and prove their effectiveness on the world stage.
This makes the equipment used on the PGA level some of the most fairly promoted and honestly displayed on the planet. And golf balls are among the most tracked equipment on the PGA Tour.
The 5 Most popular golf balls on the PGA Tour are Titleist (Pro V1 and Pro V1x), Callaway Chrome Soft X, TaylorMade TP5x, Srixon Z-Star XV, and Bridgestone Tour B X. The most popular ball brand by far is Titleist, with the Pro V1 and Pro V1x unable to be separated in choice by the pros.
In this article, you will learn more about the top brands, the specific balls used, and what the adoption volume actually communicates. We will also review some notable names that play with these balls alongside their global rankings. By the end, you will know which balls you should get.
And to find out the most popular golf balls on the PGA Tour, keep reading!
Most Popular Balls on the PGA Tour
Look at the popular balls found in the pros’ bags at a glance.
| Most popular golf ball brands on the PGA Tour | Most popular golf balls on the PGA Tour | Number of pros using the ball/brand on the Tour |
|---|---|---|
| Titleist | Titleist Pro V1 Titleist Pro V1x Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot | 74 |
| Callaway | Callaway Chrome Soft X Callaway Chrome Soft | 12 |
| TaylorMade | TaylorMade TP5x TaylorMade TP TaylorMade TP5x Pix | 8 |
| Srixon | Srixon Z-Star XV Srixon Z-Star Diamond | 10 |
| Bridgestone | Bridgestone Tour B X Bridgestone Tour B XS | 6 |
1. Titleist
Titleist proudly calls itself the “#1 ball in golf.” And its quality control makes sure it lives up to that every season. It remains the top choice for most players in the PGA Tour year after year. 2023 is no different. Its Pro V1 ball was introduced over 21 years ago and remains fresh and in demand to this day.
While Titleist doesn’t come out with the fanciest balls each year, its strict, self-imposed standards make professionals trust it. The brand has prestige and esteem second to none, with numerous golfing legends having chosen its Pro V1 ball.
In the latest PGA Tour, 74 Tour players opted for balls from the Titleist brand. The players used three balls made by Titleist, with its Pro V1 and the Pro V1x being the most played ball from Titleist or any brand.
Which Titleist balls did these players pick?
- Titleist Pro V1
- Titleist Pro V1x
- Titleist Pro V1 Left dot
The Pro V1 is considered the most playable ball with a cross-mass appeal. It is one of the few pro balls that is preferred by professional golfers and high handicapper hobbyists alike. The Titleist brand does boast the highest player adoption, but its product roster that made it to the latest tour was narrow.
When selecting balls for yourself, avoid getting lured in by the bling of the brand. Every golf ball with the Titleist logo doesn’t become as good as the Pro V1. Moreover, you must be sure you have the same golfing needs as the players who use Titleist balls.
Some notable players using Titlist Pro V1 (on and outside the PGA Tour) include Adam Scott, Corey Conners, Tony Finau, Gary Woodland, and Scottie Scheffler. The V1x ball is used by Brendon Todd, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Chris Kirk.
2. Callaway
Callaway comes at a steep second position, with only a dozen players opting for the brand. However, it doesn’t indicate Callaway balls’ quality in relation to Titleist. It just shows that the brand doesn’t sign as many golfers. By merit, Callaway balls have a decent professional appeal.
The Chrome Soft X ball is #3 in popularity among PGA Tour players. Alex Noren, Xander Schauffele, and Jon Rahm are some of the pros with the Chrome Soft X ball in their bags. With 12 of the top PGA players using Callaway balls, it is worth considering for aspiring, hobbyist, and semi-professional golfers.
What Callaway balls do these players use?
- Chrome Soft X (used by 11 PGA players)
- Chrome Soft (used by 1 PGA player)
A sponsored player gets to select the ball that works for him. So, while we may not know whether the players who use a Callaway ball do so because of their natural interest or the money they get, we can clearly see that the Chrome Soft X ball is in higher demand.
This could be because the Soft X is more professionally playable, while the Chrome Soft is for players with too much slice.
3. TaylorMade
TaylorMade has a fascinating founding history and over four decades of serving the golf market. It is no wonder it is one of the world’s top three sports equipment manufacturers if we go by PGA player adoption. Still, it doesn’t play the volume game on its sponsorships. With ten professionals using TaylorMade balls, the brand is third in popularity but doesn’t lag behind in effectiveness.
Morikawa, currently the sixth best player in the world by 2022 rankings, uses TaylorMade TP5. Other players who use TaylorMade balls include Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose.
If the top performers can work with TaylorMade balls, the balls are definitely great. But before you buy the latest TaylorMade ball, assuming it will level up your game, you must know which specific ball fits your style or personal handicap.
Which TaylorMade balls do PGA Pros use?
- TaylorMade TP5x
- TaylorMade TP5
- TaylorMade TP5X Pix
TP5X is more playable because it is firmer and has a slightly higher flight than TP5. TP5X Pix makes the tour level excellence more accessible to the fresh golfer. It makes sense to start with the TP5X Pix if you want to graduate to a TP5 or TP5X.
4. Srixon
While Srixon is a newcomer in the golf equipment business, it is backed by a rubber industry giant and made its start with golf balls. Many golf ball manufacturers start as club makers, then venture into golf ball technology.
Eight PGA athletes use Srixon balls, with Brooks Koepka being its highest ranking golfer (#25 in world rankings).
Srixon balls get a good performance out of mid-handicappers. The approach that Srixon took to its ball-making, at least from what the results show, is for the masses.
Top ranking pros are rarely seen with Srixon balls, but serious amateurs with enviably low scores are often seen sporting them. Still, the 8 PGA Tour golfers sporting Srixon balls prove that these balls can perform well on a professional level.
Which Srixon balls do these players use?
- Srixon Z-Star XV
- Srixon Z-Star Diamond
Both the balls are pretty firm and fit for tour-level performance. It is said that Srixon’s budget keeps it from getting these balls in the bags of better-performing athletes. But given the brand’s popularity among mid-handicappers, it is also inferred that it makes balls for the masses. We lean towards the latter conclusion, but the former might have merit to it as well.
If you want a Srixon ball that’s better suited for mid-handicappers, you can choose a Srixon Soft Feel Golf Ball. However, you must remember that this ball isn’t used on the PGA Tour. Only the Diamond and the XV are currently in PGA-level use.
5. Bridgestone
Despite being the fifth in player adoption, Bridgestone has the honor of having a legend like Tiger Woods on the roster. It doesn’t help that two of Bridgestone’s top golfers are currently cut from the world rankings leaderboard. Still, that has less to do with the Bridgestone balls.
Bridgestone has only six professionals using its Tour B balls at the PGA Tour level. Even though the sponsorship volume is low, the specific balls adopted at the PGA level continue to impress. Bridgestone is another golf ball maker with a background in rubber.
This seems to inform its design choices that span two broad categories. The ‘e’ balls are great for hobbyists but fail to make it onto the PGA Tour. On the other hand, the Tour B balls are currently in use at the PGA level.
What Bridgestone balls do these players use?
- Bridgestone Tour B X
- Bridgestone Tour B XS
The XS ball has a higher spin which can be beneficial for semi-professionals that need a higher iron spin to offset the effects of their swing.
Should I buy PGA Tour balls?
Now that you know which balls are the most popular on the PGA Tour, the question is whether you should get them. You will get excellent performance from the tour balls mentioned in this post if you are not a beginner. The golf balls used by PGA players aren’t the best for novices and high handicappers.
Fortunately, each popular brand that sponsors PGA Tour participants also has softer balls, balls with a slice-neutralizing spin, and balls with different degrees of flight. You’ll have fairly satisfactory results if you buy balls backed by the abovementioned brands.
Final Thoughts
If we look at the most popular balls on the PGA Tour, Titleist is the prevailing brand by some margin, with the others barely scrambling for position behind the market leaders.
PGA athletes use balls from the roster of their respective sponsors. This costs brands like Titleist and Callaway a good chunk of money. Even if you don’t get the exact balls used by advanced players, you can trust the brands with PGA visibility.
