Titleist

The Titleist brand started with a vision - and an X-ray. The Titleist success story began on a Sunday in 1930, when Phil Young, an avid amateur golfer and owner of a precision molded rubber company, missed a well-hit putt in a match with his friend, who was in charge of the X-ray department at a local hospital.

Convinced that the ball was defective, Young and his opponent went to the hospital, took an X-ray of the golf ball in question and discovered that its core was, in fact, off-center.

With his discovery, Phil Young convinced Fred Bommer, an MIT graduate, rubber specialist and golf enthusiast, to head up the Acushnet Golf division.  The goal was to develop the highest quality, best performing golf ball in the world; one that was consistent and of consistent quality, ball after ball.

It took three years of work to perfect the first Titleist golf ball, but when it was ready in 1935, it could be presented to club professionals and golfers as the best ball ever made. Applying the lesson, Young implemented a process control that is still in practice today: every Titleist golf ball is x-rayed.