Michael La Sasso, the reigning NCAA men’s golf individual champion, announced Tuesday he will forego his senior spring season of golf at Ole Miss to turn professional and join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.
La Sasso’s decision takes him out of the 2026 Masters. He had earned an invitation to Augusta National based on the NCAA championship, but only if he had retained his amateur status through the Masters, April 9-12.
La Sasso will join World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson’s Hy Flyers GC on the LIV tour.
“It’s a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and I don’t take that lightly,” La Sasso said in a statement. “LIV Golf allows me to compete at the highest level on a global stage, and I thrive in a team environment, especially one with the camaraderie and support that defines HyFlyers GC. My focus is on learning, continuing to improve, and doing everything I can to help our team succeed.”
Ole Miss begins its spring golf season Jan. 31 in the Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate at Statesboro, Georgia, a two-day event. The first full-team event will be the Water Sound Invitational Feb. 16-18 at Shark’s Tooth Golf Course in Inlet Beach, Florida.
“Clearly, it’s not ideal timing from a team standpoint,” Ole Miss golf coach Chris Malloy said in a phone interview. “But I am happy for Michael. Financially, this was a no-brainer for him. Still, he struggled with the decision because he is such a team guy.”
Michael La Sasso takes a selfie after winning the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Golf Championship at The Omni La Costa Golf Course in Carlsbad, California, on May 26, 2025.Financial terms of La Sasso’s LIV deal were not made available, but Malloy called it “certainly life-changing money.”
La Sasso, 21, is a Raleigh, North Carolina, native who transferred to Ole Miss from North Carolina State after his freshman season. Last year, he set the Ole Miss season scoring record, averaging 69.46 strokes per round. He was a consensus All-American.
Mickelson called La Sasso “one of the most exciting young players in the game today, bringing a competitive fire that’s evident every time he tee it up.
“He combines tremendous power and speed with an exceptional feel for the game,” Mickelson said in a statement. “Beyond his talent, his personality, work ethic, and commitment to being a great teammate make him a terrific addition to HyFlyers GC. We’re excited to support his development, accelerate his learning curve, and help him achieve his goals—while he, in turn, makes our team even stronger.”
Ole Miss was to enter the spring golf season as one of the favorites to win the NCAA team championship. Losing La Sasso clearly hurts the Rebels’ chances.
“It’s a blow and we’d be kidding ourselves if we said it wasn’t,” Malloy said. “I mean, we’re losing an NCAA champion and a first team All-American, but we’ve got three other All-Americans sitting in that locker room. We’ve still got firepower. We’ve still got a damned good team, and we’ve got some other guys in that locker room will have a chance to step up and make a difference.”
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