After three rounds of the 2025 Travelers Championship, just 18 holes stood between Tommy Fleetwood and something he had yet to achieve - a win on the PGA Tour.
Following his hugely impressive 63 on the Saturday of the TPC River Highlands Signature Event, which gave him a three-shot overnight lead, he focused on what in particular had pleased him about the round, saying: “Today, hit the ball great off the tee. I didn't really know the numbers but I hit every fairway, so that's a really cool stat, that's a really nice stat.
“I just had very much control of my golf ball, bogey-free today, so the odd sort of iffy shot I hit I made good saves, which are massive for momentum especially when you're having a good day.”
But what golf ball does Fleetwood, who is known for his ball-striking ability, use to ensure such control?
Until 2021, Fleetwood had used the Titleist Pro V1 with great success. However, following an alignment issue and signing for TaylorMade, he switched to the TaylorMade TP5x Pix – a ball whose surface has ClearPath Alignment triangles to offer crucial feedback on aim and roll.
Per Golf.com, he initially tested both TaylorMade’s TP5 and TP5x balls with every club beyond his 5-iron, finding that the results were similar to those of the Pro V1. However, the TP5x gave him a slightly higher launch and more carry, which sealed the deal.
Further testing ensued at the 2021 CJ Cup, this time between the TP5x and the TP5x Pix. While the two offer identical performance, the visual cues of the latter helped Fleetwood solve those alignment issues.
Fleetwood also stressed to Golf.com the importance of using a ball he believes in, saying: “I think the ball is our most important piece of the puzzle. However many different shots there are in golf, that ball is used for every single one of them.
“I have found that the right ball can create such a strong variable year to year when deciding what new clubs to put in the bag, to know that TP5x can travel club to club and year to year gives me so much peace of mind.”
Fleetwood isn’t the only player who has used the TP5x Pix, with Rickie Fowler also relying on it in the past, although nowadays he uses the Titleist Pro V1. Clearly Fleetwood is a particularly big fan of it, though, even going as far as using special editions. For example, at the 2023 Nedbank Golf Challenge, he used a version of the ball with a rhino design to support a charity. In 2024, his Masters ball had a design featuring peaches - famously grown in Georgia where the Major is held.
While Fleetwood began the Travelers Championship still awaiting his maiden PGA Tour win, his consistency through the years has ensured he’s a regular fixture in the world’s top 20, with occasional visits to the top 10. It’s safe to say that’s in no small part to the success he has found with the TaylorMade TP5x Pix and its unique and useful design.
