LIV Golf signs the NCAA winner. That’s how it went, says his coach

A few hours after his star player said goodbye to him, his team and a Masters tee time to introduce himself to the professional world, LIV Golf and “a song you can’t come back from,” Chris Malloy is hypothetically asked what he would have done if such an offer had existed just over 25 years ago, when he, too, was a major golfer on campus.

At first he laughed.

“I have no earthly idea. I couldn’t answer that,” Malloy said.

“But I know it would have been a difficult decision.”

He and Michael La Sasso agree on that, the University of Mississippi coach said Tuesday afternoon. But there was the defending NCAA champion at 10 a.m. Eastern, splashed all over everything the social media channels for LIV and the HyFlyers, one of his teams, and his choice was announced. Everyone also sounded enthusiastic in the press releases. La Sasso. Phil Mickelson, the six-time major winner and the team captain. It was actually Lefty who said at an LIV media event last Wednesday that “new energy” was coming, teasing the La Sasso deal.

Yet there are layers here. There is money involved in signing, both now and in the near future. And Mickelson. But there was also the chance to defend a crown. And the chance to go to the Masters. And a chance to play on the PGA Tour. It’s all a new world. Or certainly not one you saw a quarter of a century ago, for example.

However, the man he leaves behind said this about his now former player:

“As a coach, we certainly want to compete for national championships, team championships and all that stuff,” Malloy said, “but you also want your guys to develop, taste and achieve their dreams. And this is part of that process.”

“And the timing is certainly unfortunate, but again very proud and very happy for Mike.”

Here then is a look at how LIV signed La Sasso.

Why would Michael La Sasso sign with LIV?

The money

Malloy would not reveal the details of La Sasso’s contract, nor did LIV’s press release. But guaranteed money is one of the biggest draws of LIV, which is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

La Sasso also had reasons for not signing (and we’ll discuss all of those below), which gave him potential leverage. Malloy said he and his player had been talking about the LIV move “on and off for a while” and that “things probably picked up a few days ago” before LIV got their man.

In an interview, Malloy said only this about the deal:

“A lot of financial stability.”

And this:

“Financially a number you can’t come back from.”

A ‘path’

La Sasso will play from LIV’s season opener, which takes place on February 4 in Saudi Arabia. In other words, he won’t be playing on a feeder tour. (We’ll discuss this soon too.)

LIV events also pay all 57 players, and each tournament generates $22 million in individual competition (along with $8 million to the teams).

“If you stay in the United States and you go through all that through the PGA Tour U and the PGA Tour, they’re probably offering a lot less of a guarantee right now for some of these guys,” Malloy said. “So I think that stability and path forward for him was probably a little bit too much to pass up.”

Phil Mickelson

La Sasso will play under a team led by Mickelson, and Malloy said, “That’s a pretty cool opportunity.”

“To learn and be mentored by someone with Phil’s resume, that’s a big deal for some of these golfers,” he said. “And while I think LIV may be missing a lot of things, I think that’s something they do have and they’ve done a really good job. One appeal for these young kids coming out of college is to be on one of those guys’ teams that have done it before.”

Why wouldn’t Michael La Sasso sign with LIV?

The Masters

As defending NCAA champions, la sasso received an exemption for this year’s Masters – as long as he retained his amateur status.

Still, Malloy said the spot didn’t factor into his decision as much as you might think.

“Mike was pretty good at thinking long term and not being so short-sighted,” the coach said. “That definitely hurt. I don’t think he ever imagined he would say, ‘No, no, I’m not going to play the Masters this year’. But I give him a lot of credit in that respect. Someone his age who has been through all of this has really been good at thinking long term.”

The NCAA title defense

Last spring, La Sasso won the NCAA Division I individual title as a junior, and Mississippi opens its spring season on Jan. 31.

What was the final decision between player and coach?

“It was hard for him,” Malloy said. “It was a lot of things. I was happy for him, I’m proud of him, I’m excited for him. Sad that he wouldn’t be able to finish the spring. … It was a decision that was kind of forced on him, and the timing was unfortunate again. So it was a wide range of emotions, but ultimately, for my part, I was very, very proud of him.”

The PGA Tour

The PGA Tour offers more options for the tournaments that matter most – the majors – and through the The PGA Tour “PGA Tour University” programcollege players also have access to the PGA Tour or PGA Tour-sponsored events. Through a ranking system, they can earn membership and start for up to two seasons on the PGA Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour or the PGA Tour Americas, and La Sasso is currently third on the PGA Tour University Rankings. (In 2025, La Sasso made six PGA Tour starts and one cut, at the 3M Open.)

However, Malloy said he wished LIV would start a program in the spirit of the Tour, a ranking system, as opposed to free agent deals.

“I hope LIV Golf would do the same,” he said, “because it is unfortunate that every player would have to make the decision that Michael was faced with in this.”

There is also the battle between the PGA Tour and LIV. If La Sasso wants to try to play the Tour after playing LIV, he risks a suspension.

Have there been any previous amateur players who have joined LIV?

Yes, there have been. They include:

– James Piot: The 2021 U.S. Amateur winner and former Michigan State golfer played with LIV from the first event in June 2022 after turning pro in May 2022. He played with LIV in 2022 and 2023 and is now out of the league.

– Eugenio Chacarra: He joined LIV in June 2022 and left Oklahoma State before his senior year. He played with LIV from 2022 to 2024 and is now on the DP World Tour.

– David Puig: He played with LIV from the first event in June 2022 and turned pro later that year, forgoing his senior year at Arizona State. He’s still with LIV.

– Caleb Surratt: He joined LIV in 2024 and left Tennessee midway through his sophomore year. He’s still with LIV.

– Josele Ballester: The 2024 U.S. Amateur winner joined LIV after his senior year at Arizona State. He’s still with LIV.

What does LIV get with La Sasso?

This is what Malloy said when asked that question:

“An engaging, big personality. I think he commands a lot of attention. Between personality and his golf game, he has flair. And again, I think it fits perfectly with that LIV Golf brand. I think he’ll be a huge asset to them.”

“And also a great golfer.”

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