Two weeks ago, LIV Golf made arguably its biggest offseason signing when it acquired reigning NCAA individual champion Michael La Sasso. The senior at Ole Miss made the decision to forego his final semester of college golf to turn pro and join Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers team for the 2026 season.
On Tuesday, ahead of LIV Golf’s opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, La Sasso spoke for the first time about his decision.
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“One of the things that went into my decision, when I was 10 years old starting to play golf, like, the goal for me was to play professional golf,” La Sasso said. “Having people that have been very well-known in the golf space and are so experienced, and to be able to be a part of a team that’s with Phil, somebody that’s had so much experience, I feel like he’ll be able to answer any question that I throw at him, to have the ability to be able to ask somebody that on a daily basis, that played a very big part in it for me because not every 21-year-old has the opportunity to be able to ask questions to those people. So that was a big factor for me.
“I think so far, I’m so grateful that I made the decision, and I am very happy to be here.”
Michael La Sasso of the University of Mississippi poses with the champion trophy on the 18th hole during the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 26, 2025 in Carlsbad, California.
In an offseason where LIV Golf lost more in Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed than it acquired in any player addition, La Sasso’s signing could pay off if he plays well. The league has made it a priority to attract young talent, whether it be top amateurs or those from the college ranks, and La Sasso’s signing is the latest example.
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Since his win at the NCAA Championship last May, La Sasso has somewhat struggled. He made only one of five cuts in PGA Tour events (T-44 at 3M Open) and missed the cut at the U.S. Open. He was also the only U.S. player to have a losing record at the Walker Cup (1-2). He made only two starts for Ole Miss in the fall in stroke-play events, finishing 18th and 23rd.
In joining LIV Golf, La Sasso also gave up a spot in the 2026 Masters. But he believes joining LIV can help take his game to the next level.
“I would say I’m a little bit raw at first,” La Sasso said. “Everybody is a little bit young. I think that’s why I have a pretty sick caddie that I’ve asked to come join me so far in my career. I think hopefully he’ll be able to sharpen me up a little bit in some areas.
“If you can kind of tell by my personality, I’m a little bit fiery, so hopefully I bring some good laughs and stuff to the older guys, I’ll say, on the team, and kind of bring in like a little bit of a new young flair.”
Michael La Sasso of the University of Mississippi chats with his coach on the ninth hole during the 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa on May 26, 2025 in Carlsbad, California.
La Sasso will become LIV’s youngest player, beating out former Tennessee golfer Caleb Surratt, who is entering his third season with the league.
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Surratt is one of the reasons La Sasso decided to make the jump, too. Two years ago, Surratt left Tennessee before the spring to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII. Now La Sasso is following a similar path.
“Not many people know this, but he was committed to NC State at the same time I was,” La Sasso said of Surratt “He’s from North Carolina, I’m from North Carolina. Growing up, I played a lot of golf with him, and we were very close.
“I remember when he first came here, he stayed at my house because he was getting a swing lesson from — we go to the same instructor. Everything that he had to say, it made me excited. From a very early start, hearing about LIV and every perk that it had and hearing him talk so highly about it, the fact that I actually had an opportunity to come out here and play, and I asked him a bunch of questions and kind of from the start, everything that he had to say and people that I talked to, everything was so, so good.”
Ultimately, La Sasso said he is betting on himself this season. He believes this is the right decision for his career, which begins Wednesday under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
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“This is the first time that I’m now playing golf as a professional, so to have that ability, to have it around people that are so supportive, and to be around people that show that they very much care about what I do and they’re just trying to help, I think this year is going to have a lot of growth, and I think that’s a good thing,” La Sasso said.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Why NCAA champ Michael La Sasso left Ole Miss for LIV Golf
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