Michael La Sasso, the current NCAA individual champion, has joined LIV Golf. The Ole Miss senior signed a multi-year agreement with Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC. He is scheduled to debut at LIV's upcoming event in Saudi Arabia, which means he will forfeit his remaining college eligibility and depart from Ole Miss before his final semester.
La Sasso, 21, had secured an exemption to the Masters this April due to his win at La Costa. This exemption was contingent on him maintaining his amateur status.
In a released statement, La Sasso expressed excitement about joining HyFlyers GC and advancing his career. He highlighted the opportunity to learn from an experienced player and compete globally with LIV Golf, emphasizing his focus on improvement and team contribution.
La Sasso is the second NCAA individual champion to sign with LIV Golf, following Turk Pettit (2021 champion). His signing is part of several recent additions for LIV, which include PGA Tour winners Ben An and Thomas Detry, Victor Perez, Elvis Smylie, and returning players Laurie Canter and Luis Masaveu.
This marks the second consecutive season LIV has signed a player from the PGA Tour University list; La Sasso was ranked third. Last summer, Josele Ballester, an Arizona State senior, joined LIV's Fireballs after the NCAA Championship.
Ole Miss head coach Chris Malloy stated that La Sasso's decision was financially driven for his future. Malloy also noted that the timing was not ideal and that La Sasso found the decision difficult due to his team commitment.
La Sasso was a first-team All-American for Ole Miss in his sophomore and junior years, following his freshman year at North Carolina State. He secured three wins last season, including the NCAAs, and ranked second nationally. He also participated in the U.S. Walker Cup team but finished the last fall season ranked 100th, outside the top 15 in his two college starts.
As an amateur, La Sasso made six PGA Tour starts last year, missing the cut in five events, including the 2025 U.S. Open. During his last Tour appearance at the Sanderson Farms Championship, he incurred a two-shot penalty for improving the conditions affecting his stroke before missing the cut.
Phil Mickelson described La Sasso as an exciting young player with competitive drive, powerful play, and exceptional feel for the game. Mickelson added that La Sasso's personality, work ethic, and commitment to teamwork make him a valuable addition.
Ole Miss, ranked tenth nationally after reaching the NCAA semifinals last season, retains seven players after La Sasso's departure. Only three of these players—Cameron Tankersley, Tom Fischer, and Cohen Trolio—have seen substantial playing time.
Malloy confirmed that La Sasso held individual discussions with his teammates and coaches.
Malloy indicated that teammates were supportive, acknowledging the challenge of losing a key player while aiming for an NCAA Championship. He expressed anticipation for how the remaining players will respond to the situation and intends for the team to address external perceptions.