Latest news with #LaSasso
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael La Sasso: Rocket Mortgage Classic betting odds and preview
The Rocket Mortgage Classic is underway, and Michael La Sasso is in 130th position with a score of E. In the past 12 months, Michael La Sasso has played in two tournaments. His best finish was 130th, his average finish was 130th, and he made the cut one time (50.0%). Michael La Sasso odds to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 10:21 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. La Sasso's stats and trends La Sasso's recent results How to watch the Rocket Mortgage Classic ESPN+ is the new home of PGA TOUR LIVE. Sign up now to access 4,300+ hours of live coverage from 35 PGA TOUR tournaments this year.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How NCAA individual champ Michael La Sasso is learning to enjoy PGA Tour spotlight at Rocket Classic
Michael La Sasso admits his head is still spinning from everything that has happened the last month. On May 28, he won the NCAA individual title at Omni La Costa in Carlsbad, California, capping his junior year in style. Two weeks later, he was on the East Coast teeing it up in his first U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, a perk that came with his win at the NCAA Championship. Now, La Sasso, a rising senior at Ole Miss and third-ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, is making his first start at a PGA Tour event, the 2025 Rocket Classic, playing as a sponsor exemption. Donning Rocket on his hat, the youngster is still processing the craziness of the last month as he prepares to take on Detroit Golf Club. "We were kind of joking about how many flights I've been on," La Sasso said. "It's kind of something I've not been recently exposed to, but hopefully I can in the future. Yeah, I feel like I've been on the road consistently, but it's been great. It's something that I'm fortunate to be a part of." There have been a handful of notable names to congratulate La Sasso on his victory, but the one that stands out is former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, now with the New York Giants. Also among those reaching out is Braden Thornberry, who won an NCAA individual title at Ole Miss in 2017, and has been a role model for La Sasso in recent years. During the NCAA Championship, La Sasso said he and Thornberry talked about handling the pressure and how La Sasso needed to enjoy the week. Then Thornberry was one of the first to reach out when La Sasso won the biggest title of his amateur career. "Braden lives in Memphis, so he comes down pretty much every Monday when their golf courses are closed. I always try and make time in my day if it's kind of trying to get out of class early or trying to go just like spend time with him, pick his brain," La Sasso said. '"He's like the nicest ever, and he's great. You ask a ton of questions, he's great to us. Just to have the ability to talk with a guy who's kind of seen everything is something that is pretty underrated." That advice has helped La Sasso process a new outlook on golf in the past month. He was late to the golf game, not really following the sport or getting into it as a player until after the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he was a standard bearer. He followed Martin Kaymar and Thomas Pieters that week, and he closely followed Akshay Bhatia's path of skipping college golf and turning pro, with the two sharing the same swing coach. La Sasso arrived at Ole Miss as a wide-eyed freshman still not realizing his full potential. He got closer and closer to a win but couldn't break through his first two years. Then this year, he ran away with the title at the Hamptons Intercollegiate, where he won by 11 shots. Then came the win at NCAAs. "Kind of knowing that I'm very much capable of being able to compete on a collegiate level," La Sasso said. "It was more kind of maturing a little bit, having the ability to realize all right, my time management needs to be in the right spot, kind of just knowing what it takes to actually win. "Most times you've got to think it's perfect golf for all 54 holes for us, but there's going to be some rough stretches in how you handle that and just are able to keep like a good mindset is just kind of smile is what I've kind of just been trying to take into this summer and into senior year." His busy summer will continue after the Rocket Classic, even after finally getting a chance to go home and have a quick reset. He'll be one of the favorites at the 2025 U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in August before representing the U.S. in the Walker Cup in September, where last week he was named one of the first three selections to the 10-man team. Heading into his senior year, he has a chance to earn a PGA Tour card via PGA Tour University, where he's going to be in the top five when the Class of 2026 preseason rankings are announced later this summer. It makes weeks like this more important, as every point counts when trying to secure job status on the biggest professional golf tour in an era where Tour cards are harder to come by. But in the meantime, he's trying to enjoy the fruits of his labor. "You know, I try and keep it pretty light. Something about me is if you're not enjoying what you're doing, there's kind of no point in doing it. I try and keep a smile all the time, take it pretty light and just kind of enjoy and know where you're at. "It's so easy to get caught up in everything, especially like with all the tournaments and people, it's a little bit of a different environment, but just realize like how cool it is to actually be here, have the ability to play first PGA Tour event, very special. Just smile, take it all in and just grateful to be here."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Justin Parker talks Mississippi State baseball in Tallahassee Regional of NCAA tournament
La Sasso steps up in Individual; watch out for ASU Brentley Romine and Steve Burkowski give their observations of the NCAA Men's Golf Individual National Championship and identify a team to watch during the team match play. 6:05 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
NBC Sports
27-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
After a year's worth of bad breaks, good ones finally come for NCAA champion Michael La Sasso
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The night before he became an NCAA individual champion, Michael La Sasso tossed and turned in his sleep, just thinking about what was at stake Monday at Omni La Costa. An exemption into this summer's U.S. Open. A likely invitation to next year's Masters. NCAA immortality. 'Sleeping with a lead is never easy by any means,' said La Sasso, who led Texas A&M senior Phichaksn Maichon by two shots through 54 holes, 'so to try and shut your mind off and go to bed is a very underrated thing to do.' The next morning Maichon, starting five groups ahead of La Sasso on No. 10, opened his final round with a bang, back-to-back birdies to quickly erase La Sasso's lead before the Ole Miss junior event teed off. La Sasso would match Maichon's two-birdie start, but then his opening nine started to unravel – a mud ball and bogey on No. 13; two plugged lies; a pair of double bogeys, at Nos. 15 and 17. The La Sasso that first arrived in Oxford, Mississippi, two summers ago from North Carolina State likely would've hung his head after that 2-over 38, which put La Sasso two strokes down to Maichon at the turn. It was just last August, a week before the start of the fall semester, that La Sasso was sulking on the practice green at Ole Miss' golf complex when Rebels assistant Emerson Newsome told him, 'Dude, you have got to snap out of it.' La Sasso had just tied for 191st at the U.S. Amateur, the wrong kind of exclamation point to a disastrous summer. La Sasso had contracted a stomach virus at the SEC Championship a few months before and lost 22 pounds. Also taking a hit were his swing and confidence. 'I had this victim mindset,' La Sasso said. 'I had missed first-team All-American; I was the only kid on the Palmer Cup team who wasn't. I was wondering to myself, like, am I not meant to be here? Am I a fluke? Emerson's like, 'You're plenty good enough. You have to be more optimistic.'' La Sasso began working with a performance coach this season, and by the spring, Malloy noticed 'a light bulb had gone off in his head.' La Sasso's NCAA triumph marked his third win of the season and was his 10th finish of T-13 or better. He overcame the flu to share 13th in Puerto Rico earlier this spring, and then less than a month later, he finished the same at the Cabo Collegiate despite stepping on a black sea urchin during a beach trip the day before the first round. Malloy urged La Sasso, who had to undergo four hours of surgery to remove all the spines from his right foot and hand, to sit out, but La Sasso ignored him. 'I've personally fought a s--- ton of stuff these last two years since I've been at Ole Miss,' La Sasso said, 'and I feel like I'm a pretty gritty guy.' At the NCAA Tallahassee Regional two weeks ago, La Sasso didn't bring his best stuff and still finished runner-up to imminent PGA Tour player Luke Clanton on his home golf course. La Sasso played alongside Clanton on Monday as he looked to close out easily the biggest win of his career. 'This was new territory for him,' Malloy said. 'We sat down and had a quick talk this morning, and looking at his eyes, he looked like he was ready for the moment, and he ultimately was.' Added La Sasso: 'I told myself if I just keep playing my game, good things would come.' Maichon, who plans to turn pro this summer with a Korn Ferry Tour card in hand thanks to PGA Tour University, bogeyed Nos. 5 and 6 to drop back to 9 under; he'd par in to shoot a closing 72 and finish two shots ahead of Oklahoma State's Preston Stout – and three clear of La Sasso's buddy Jackson Koivun of Auburn and reigning U.S. Amateur winner Josele Ballester of Arizona State. Meanwhile, the bounces finally started to go La Sasso's way. He played a bogey-free final nine, which included birdies on Nos. 4 and 6, the latter being a par-5 where La Sasso's drive took three bounces off the left cart path before ricocheting into the fairway; that birdie moved La Sasso back to 11 under, where he'd end up after a 72 of his own. On the next hole, the par-4 seventh, La Sasso's tee ball nestled against a bunker rake, which was left by another Ole Miss player a few groups ahead. Said La Sasso later to that teammate: 'Nice rake job.' La Sasso would still fly the green with his approach, but he saved par with a clutch up-and-down. Clanton carded an uncharacteristic 4-over 76 as Florida State, where Malloy was an assistant under Trey Jones over a decade ago, played the last three holes in a combined 6 over to finish at 12 over. The Rebels were 4 over in that stretch, though La Sasso's tap-in for par at No. 9 narrowly sealed the eighth seed in match play for Ole Miss, which will meet Arizona State in Tuesday morning's quarterfinals. The moment Mike became a National Champ! 🏆#HottyToddy Virginia, which climbed four places to seventh, gets reigning NCAA team champion Auburn. Florida, after the round of the day (8 under), will face host Texas. And Oklahoma State and Oklahoma will square off for the first time ever in NCAA match play. Florida State declined a Golf Channel request to speak to Clanton, who is expected to make his pro debut as a PGA Tour member next week at the RBC Canadian Open. La Sasso, who has one more year of eligibility, was thrilled for the professional opportunities that will now be given to him. He no longer has to fly to U.S. final qualifying later this week in Columbus, Ohio, and he can instead take a few days off before the Arnold Palmer Cup at Congaree and his major debut at Oakmont. He's also in the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July – and more invites will surely pop up soon. 'He's going to have a lot thrown on his plate, but he'll be ready and figure it out,' Malloy said. '… He's earned it, and I'm just really looking forward to watching him do it.' This is just Ole Miss' third time at the NCAA Championship under Malloy – and Tuesday will mark its first match-play appearance. But twice now the Rebels have boasted the individual winner, with current PGA Tour pro Braden Thornberry being the first to accomplish the feat in 2017 at Rich Harvest Farms. Thornberry recently played nine holes with La Sasso, and on Sunday night talked with the eventual NCAA champ on the phone. Thornberry's biggest piece of advice was to appreciate how special the opportunity was just to have a chance at winning a national championship. 'I thought about that a few times today,' La Sasso said. 'To be able to follow in his footsteps is pretty unbelievable.' Unlike Thornberry, though, La Sasso will have to pause his celebration and flip the switch to match play. La Sasso will go out in the anchor match opposite Arizona State star Preston Summerhays. History favors La Sasso as NCAA individual champions are 6-1 all-time in their quarterfinal match. Malloy certainly isn't worried about his star. 'The guy wakes up with his hair on fire,' Malloy said. 'He's not going to have any lack of motivation.' Much is still at stake.
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Ole Miss' Michael La Sasso wins NCAA title, collects U.S. Open and Masters invites
Ole Miss junior Michael La Sasso's even-par 72 on Monday at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa North Course in Carlsbad, Calif., was his worst score in four days, but it accomplished plenty. Not only did La Sasso hold off Texas A&M's Phichaksn Maichon to win the NCAA's individual title with a 72-hole total of 11-under 277, he earned official invitations to next month's U.S. Open at Oakmont and next year's Masters. He also helped his team edge Florida State for the eighth and final spot in the match play competition that starts Tuesday to determine the NCAA team champion. La Sasso became the second Ole Miss golfer to win the individual championship - joining 2017 medalist Braden Thornberry, who's currently on the PGA Tour. "If you would have told me the first tournament of the year that I was going to win a national championship as an individual, I probably would have said you're lying," La Sasso told Golfweek. La Sasso and the Rebels finished team stroke play at 11, which was one shot ahead of 2024 runner-up Florida State for the final match-play berth. Ole Miss opens match play against Arizona State, which won stroke play at 14 under. No. 2 Auburn faces No. 7 Virginia , No. 3 Florida takes on No. 6 Texas and No. 4 Oklahoma State battles No. 5 Oklahoma in the other match-play quarterfinals. Auburn is the defending national champion. Field Level Media
