Brian Harman Conquers TPC San Antonio to Win the Valero Texas Open

By Zack R., Team Titleist Staff On April 7, 2025 Balls Tour Clubs

PGA TOUR | Valero Texas Open 

Titleist Brand Ambassador Brian Harman outmaneuvered one of the PGA TOUR’s toughest setups this season, trusting his Pro V1 golf ball through gusty winds of up to 30 mph Sunday at a firm-and-fast TPC San Antonio to capture the three-shot victory and his fourth PGA TOUR title.

  • Taking control with his blended set of Titleist irons (U•500 4-5, T100 6-iron, 620 CB 7-PW) and Vokey Design wedges, including a new Vokey SM10 WedgeWorks 60L lob wedge that he put in play for the first time this week, the 2023 Open Champion gained nearly eight strokes combined on approach (+6.143/2nd) shots and around the green (+1.751/24th).
  • “It’s been pretty good, controlling my distances nicely,” Harman said Friday after his second-consecutive 66 to open the tournament. “It’s one of the demands this place makes on you, you have to really have control of your ball. Ball lands on the green, they're a lot firmer than they seem, and if you're playing from out of position it's really tough.”

TITLEIST IS OVERWHELMING #1 BALL AT VALERO TEXAS OPEN; MOST PLAYED DRIVER, IRON, WEDGE AND PUTTER

  • The trusted tee-to-green equipment choices of champion Brian Harman were also the favorites of the Valero Texas Open field:
  • Titleist was the overwhelming #1 ball at TPC San Antonio with 78 percent (113 players) of the field playing a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball – including eight players who finished T5 or better.
  • Titleist golf ball players have now won eight times this season on the PGA TOUR, compared to two for the nearest competitor.
  • Titleist was also the most played driver (62/42%), iron (51/35%) and wedge (251/59%), with Harman using his Titleist setup to gain a total of +7.620 strokes tee to green (5th). 
  • More players in the field also used a Scotty Cameron putter (46/32%) than any other brand.

What’s in the Bag? | Brian Harman

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSi2 9.0° | Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 5 S  
Fairway Metal: TS2 13.5° | Fujikura Speeder 661 Evolution 2 S  and TS2 16.5° | Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution 2 X
Utility Irons: U•500 4-5 | Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 90HY 6.0 (3-4); True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 (5)
Irons: T100 6 | True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 and 620 CB 7-PW | True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
Wedges: Vokey Design SM9 50.08F, 54.10S, SM10 60.04L | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

THE STORY BEHIND BRIAN HARMAN’S SWITCH TO PRO V1, TITLEIST EQUIPMENT

  • Prior to the start of 2017, Brian Harman had been playing a competitive golf ball and equipment (the only Titleist club in his bag at the end of 2016 was a Vokey pitching wedge).
  • During that offseason, he made a call to Titleist Tour Rep Jim Curran, asking for a set of Titleist irons, similar to the ones he had played as a junior golfer and in college at the University of Georgia.
  • Said Curran: “Brian called me during the offseason holidays (December of 2016) and said he played Titleist irons before he turned professional and has not had that feel in his iron ball striking since then. He ordered a set of 716 CB’s and we agreed to meet on the range in Palm Springs the Monday of CareerBuilder. It was then that we dialed in his loft, lies and yardages. From there, Brian was low maintenance all season. I would check his grips, lofts and lies roughly once a month and he did the rest.”
  • Harman put his new set of CB’s in play for the first time that Thursday at PGA West’s Nicklaus Course. (He now plays the 620 CB models.)
  • Said Harman in 2018: “Very first time when I played (the CB’s) was in Palm Springs. I worked with Mr. Jim Curran and we got them figured out. Finished third that week and I was having a pretty nice year.”
  • Three months later, the 2012 Sony Open Champion asked Harman, who was still playing a competitive golf ball, if he wanted to team up at the Zurich Classic (the first year that the Zurich went to the team format).
  • “He was kind of curious as to what ball we wanted to play,” Harman said. “I said, ‘I played Titleist balls in college and everything. We’ll just play your ball (a Titleist Pro V1, in alternate shot), no problem.
  • “We had a nice tournament... It got really windy. I was hitting some shots with (his) ball, shots that I just couldn’t hit with the ball I was playing. After that round, I decided to switch to the Pro V1…”
  • “I hit one shot on the second hole the last day in New Orleans (with the competitive ball) that spun up into the wind. I hit it flush but it came up 10 yards short and plugged in the bunker. And I just remember thinking, ‘That’s the last time I’m going to hit that ball. I’m switching balls.’ So, I switched, man, and I’m back. When I switched (to Pro V1), I want to say I was right around 90th in the world, and now I’m 30th, I think.” (Prior to Wells Fargo, Harman was 93rd in the OWGR. He ended 2017 at 25th.)
  • The following week, Harman teed up Pro V1 at the Wells Fargo Championship.
  • On Sunday, he birdied 17 and 18 at Eagle Point GC to win by one shot. 
  • “I won the next week with it (Pro V1), the very first week I played it,” Harman said.
  • Harman reiterated the significance of his switch prior to the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, where he finished T6: “The reason I switched back to Titleist was because of windy days and with Open Championships and major championships in mind. To flight the ball and not have to worry about it getting up and getting out of hand was a big deal.”
  • “I switched to this ball in 2017 from a different company and the effects were immediate. You know, the last four years on tour have been my best four put together,” Harman said prior to the 2022 U.S. Open. “I just was never able to flight my old ball. I had trouble controlling and especially in the wind and we ended up playing so much wind out here. The effects for me were immediate switching to this Pro V and I mean, it’s been a complete 180. The way that I flight iron shots, the way that I control it around the green, it saves me, I don't know how many shots it’s saved me.”
  • When Harman arrived at the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions to open 2018, there were several new additions to his bag, including a new Titleist driver, fairways and full set of Vokey Design wedges.

HARMAN GAINS WITH VOKEY DESIGN WEDGES

  • Brian Harman brought three Vokey Design wedges to the winner’s circle on Sunday: a Vokey Design SM9 50.08F gap wedge, a 54.10S sand wedge and a new SM10 WedgeWorks 60L lob wedge that he added to the bag this week.
  • Harman won the 151st Open Championship with a similar wedge matrix, including a 60-degree L Grind lob wedge.
  • This week, however, Harman moved from his SM9 lob wedge gamer to the SM10 version after working with Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill.
  • Harman was looking for fresh grooves to prepare for The Masters, and after testing the SM10 L Grind around the practice area on Tuesday this week, it went straight in the bag.
  • The L Grind is a common choice for players who want a low bounce option with heel, toe, and trailing edge relief.
  • Its leading edge sits close to the ground and works well on tight or firm lies, in a square or open position.
  • Compared to other low bounce options in the Vokey lineup, the L Grind offers slightly more protection from excessive digging. 
  • “The L Grind is for the player looking for the versatility of a low bounce wedge,” said Aaron Dill, Vokey Tour Representative. “It's really the perfect balance of ‘I want versatility, but I also want a little forgiveness to go with it.’ The forward bounce on the L helps reduce dig, but players are still able to open it up and slide under the ball easily. It's a great option for players looking for a little bit less bounce.”
  • The 2023 Champion Golfer of the Year used his Vokey wedge setup to gain 1.757 shots around the greens this week (24th).

RYAN GERARD FINISHES RUNNER-UP, CONTINUES STRONG FORM

  • Titleist Brand Ambassador Ryan Gerard’s momentum continued this week at the Valero Texas Open, closing with a 3-under 69 to leap into second place and claim his best-ever PGA TOUR finish.
  • It also marked his first back-to-back top-10's on TOUR, following last week’s ninth-place finish at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
  • Gerard’s recent run also earned him the top spot in the Aon Swing 5 standings, qualifying him for the next Signature Event, the RBC Heritage.
  • So far in 2025, Gerard ranks 17th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach, picking up an average 0.607 strokes on the field per round.
  • This week in San Antonio, Gerard’s Vokey SM10 wedges and Scotty Cameron putter were on fire, as he ranked second in both SG: Around the Green (+5.948) and SG: Putting (+7.628).
  • He also ranked T2 in Putts per GIR (1.60), and he got his NEW Pro V1 golf ball up-and-down 25 of 35 attempts (71%, T7).

What’s in the Bag? | Ryan Gerard

Golf Ball: NEW 2025 Titleist Pro V1
Driver: GT3 11.0° | Fujikura Ventus Black TR 6 X
Hybrid: NEW GT1 20.0° | Fujikura Ventus VeloCore+ Red HB 9 X 
Irons: T200 4 | Mitsubishi MMT Hybrid 100 TX and T100 5-9 | KBS C-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 50.08F, 54.10S, 60.08M | KBS C-Taper 125 S+ (46), True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 (50-60)
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat tour prototype

KORN FERRY TOUR | Club Car Championship

Jeremy Gandon (Pro V1x) made birdie on the first hole of a playoff, earning his breakthrough victory on the Korn Ferry Tour.

  • Gandon finished regulation play with a flurry of three birdies in his final five holes, posting 17 under for the week at the Landings Golf & Athletic Club.
  • That 72-hole total matched that of Rick Lamb’s (NEW 2025 Pro V1), who closed in 5-under 67.
  • The two returned to the 18th hole, where Gandon’s birdie 4 sealed the win. 
  • With his win, Gandon climbs up 45 spots to No. 3 in the season-long Points List, with the top 20 finishers earning PGA TOUR cards at season’s end. 

PGA TOUR AMERICAS | 70th ECP Brazil Open

Titleist Brand Ambassador Maxwell Moldovan drained a 50-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole of the week to secure his first victory as a professional.

  • Moldovan, whose setup includes his Pro V1x golf ball, GT2 driver, blended set of T200 and T100 irons, Vokey SM10 wedges and Scotty Cameron Phantom putter, shot rounds of 63-67-68-68 for the week at the Rio Olympic Golf Course.
  • His 18-under total was good for a one-stroke margin of victory.
  • Moldovan turned professional in the summer of 2024, having finished No. 20 in the PGA TOUR University graduating class.
  • With his victory today, the 23-year-old locked up exempt membership on the PGA TOUR Americas through the 2026 Latin America Swing. 

What’s in the Bag? | Maxwell Moldovan

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: GT2 8.0° | Fujikura Ventus Red TR 6 X
Fairway Metal: TSR3 13.5° | Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X
Utility Irons: T200 3-iron | HZRDUS Smoke Black 90HY 6.5
Irons: T200 4 | Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X and T100 5-9 | Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 48.10F, 52.08F, 56.08M, 60.08M | Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 115 Wedge
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.2 tour prototype

LET | Joburg Ladies Open

Ladies European Tour rookie Mimi Rhodes (Pro V1) followed up her breakthrough win at the NSW Open with another victory, claiming back-to-back LET titles.

  • The 23-year-old carded a steady 2-under 71 in the final round, which saw her reach 14 under for the week and win by one.
  • The Englishwoman now leads the Order of Merit early in the 2025 LET campaign.

AMATEUR | Augusta National Women’s Amateur

On the game’s biggest stages, at every level of competitive golf, more competitors put their trust in the performance of the #1 ball in golf than any other brand.

  • This past week at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, an overwhelming majority of the field (49 competitors, 69%) teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball.
  • Titleist was also the most played driver (37%), fairway (33%), hybrid (38%), utility iron (81%), iron (35%) and wedge (42%) at the ANWA, while Scotty Cameron putters were tied for the most played putter brand in the field (31%, T-1).

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