NCAA Champion Michael La Sasso Forfeits Masters Exemption to Join LIV Golf

2026-01-21 general

Oxford, Tuesday, 20 January 2026.
In a decisive move for the 2026 season, reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso has signed with Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC. This transition forces La Sasso to forfeit his amateur status and highly coveted Masters exemption, underscoring LIV Golf’s aggressive strategy of securing top-tier collegiate talent.

Roster Implications and Immediate Debut

The 21-year-old Raleigh, North Carolina native is set to make his professional debut at the LIV Golf season opener in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scheduled for February 4 through February 7, 2026 [3][7]. La Sasso will round out the HyFlyers GC roster alongside captain Phil Mickelson, Cameron Tringale, and Brendan Steele, effectively replacing Andy Ogletree following the latter’s relegation from the league [1][8]. While the move secures La Sasso’s financial future—a decision his collegiate coach Chris Malloy described as a “financial no-brainer”—it comes at the immediate expense of his final semester at the University of Mississippi and a prestigious major championship appearance [4].

The Cost of Professionalism

By turning professional prior to April, La Sasso relinquishes the Masters invitation traditionally extended to the reigning NCAA individual champion [1][6]. This exemption was secured following his victory at the 2025 NCAA Championship, where he posted an 11-under total to become only the second individual champion in Ole Miss history [2][3]. Despite the loss of the Augusta National berth, La Sasso cited the “rare opportunity to learn” under Mickelson and the league’s team-centric environment as the primary drivers for his decision [2]. He enters the professional ranks ranked No. 13 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings [1].

Performance Metrics and League Strategy

Analytically, LIV Golf is acquiring a player with a statistically high ceiling but recent volatility. During his junior season, La Sasso established a new program record at Ole Miss with a scoring average of 69.48 and was a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Division I Player of the Year Award [3]. However, his transition to the professional ranks follows a mixed performance record against elite competition; while he managed a T-44 finish at the 3M Open with an 11-under par score, he missed the cut in five of his six PGA Tour starts last season, including the U.S. Open [2][6]. Furthermore, his recent amateur form appeared to cool in the fall, resulting in finishes of 18th and 23rd in his final stroke-play starts [2].

Sources

Sports Business LIV Golf