Michael La Sasso has put himself in a position to finish his first LIV Golf season with a breakthrough victory. The 22-year-old HyFlyers GC rookie enters the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis with a one-shot lead after following a remarkable 10-under 60 with a 4-under 66 at The Club at Chatham Hills.
La Sasso sits at 13 under, one shot ahead of Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Bubba Watson and Richard Bland. With 21 players within four shots of the lead, the rookie faces a crowded leaderboard in the final event of the LIV Golf season.
The opportunity comes after a difficult adjustment to professional golf. La Sasso joined LIV Golf in January and has played 12 LIV events without a victory. His struggles left him facing relegation, and he recently entered the first stage of DP World Tour Q School as a contingency. He has also dealt with the absence of Phil Mickelson, who recruited him to the HyFlyers but has played only once this season because of a “private family health matter.”
Michael La Sasso Credits Brendan Steele
Despite Mickelson’s prolonged absence, La Sasso said his HyFlyers teammates have played an important role in helping him adjust to professional golf. In particular, he pointed to three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele.
“I definitely was kind of thrown into the fire a little bit,” La Sasso said of his rookie season. “Having the ability to have those guys that were kind of around, especially kind of watching them day in, day out.”
La Sasso said he has learned from watching how his veteran teammates handle the demands of professional golf.
“To me, it’s pretty cool to see how they are so level-headed most of the time,” he said. “Every day, it seems like they kind of do the same thing over and over again, and it makes their life a lot easier. It makes their caddies’ lives a lot easier.”
Steele has also helped La Sasso with equipment decisions.
“Kind of just learning off of that, I think that’s been a big adjustment. Especially with Steeley, he loves talking through equipment and stuff. I’ve kind of switched around a little bit this year. Kind of asking for his advice. He’s been very helpful on that front.”
The former NCAA individual champion has already shown his potential with rounds of 60 and 66, and now he is one round away from his first professional title.
Michael La Sasso Ready for Final-Round Pressure
La Sasso’s third round was helped by his pairing with Matthew Wolff, a friend and regular practice partner from Jupiter, Florida.
“I played really well today. It’s enjoyable getting paired up with Wolffy,” La Sasso said. “We play a lot of golf back in Jupiter together. When I saw we were paired up, I was pretty ecstatic about that, and he definitely brought the vibes out there today, so it was good.”
The final round will provide a different challenge. La Sasso will play alongside Canter and Bland, two experienced professionals also chasing the title.
Bland, 53, praised the young leader after his third-round 65.
“He’s a great kid. I’ve played with Michael a couple of times this year. You can see he’s got a huge amount of talent. He’s got a great future in front of him, wherever that future is. I’m sure he’s going to be a star of the future,” Bland said.
La Sasso acknowledged the significance of potentially earning his first professional victory.
“There’s been countless guys that I played with in college that have already won professionally now, so if I could add my name to the resume, that would be pretty sweet,” he said.
He also said he is prepared for the pressure that comes with leading after 54 holes.
“It’s just another day,” La Sasso said. “I’m happy to be in this spot. It’s definitely been a while. I’m excited more than anything. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but I’m ecstatic that I’m at this point.”
With a one-shot advantage and his first professional title within reach, La Sasso now has the chance to cap his rookie season with a major breakthrough.
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