Michael La Sasso took a one-shot lead into the final round of LIV Golf Indianapolis on Saturday after backing up a 10-under 60 with a 4-under 66 at The Club at Chatham Hills. The 22-year-old sat at 13 under after 54 holes and was one round from his first professional title.
That position matters now because the leaderboard is crowded and the margin is thin. Laurie Canter, Thomas Detry, Bubba Watson and Richard Bland were all one shot back, and 21 players were within four shots of the lead entering the final round.
For La Sasso, the chance comes after a season that has been anything but smooth. He joined LIV Golf in January and had played 12 events without a victory before arriving in Indianapolis, while also dealing with relegation pressure and a recent trip into the first stage of DP World Tour Q School as a fallback. He said he was “kind of thrown into the fire” as a rookie, and the results have shown how steep the climb has been.
Some of the adjustment has come from the players around him. Phil Mickelson recruited La Sasso to the HyFlyers, but Mickelson has played only once this season because of a private family health matter, leaving the rookie to lean on others. La Sasso said Brendan Steele, a three-time PGA Tour winner, has been especially helpful with equipment advice after he switched things around this year, and he also called Matthew Wolff a friend and regular practice partner from Jupiter, Florida.
La Sasso said the chance to play with Wolff helped him settle in, and Richard Bland offered a public endorsement after his own third-round 65, calling the youngster a great kid with a huge amount of talent and a bright future. Bland’s praise fit the tone of the leaderboard: La Sasso was not just surviving Sunday, he was carrying the pressure of being the player everyone else was trying to catch.
The final round paired La Sasso with Laurie Canter and Bland, a group that leaves little room for error. He said it would be “pretty sweet” to add his name to the list of college players who have already won professionally, and that is the only question left in Indianapolis: whether a rookie who came in under pressure can finish the week with the first title of his career.
