Veteran PGA Tour caddie Kip Henley has slammed Michael La Sasso for forgoing a Masters invitation to join LIV Golf. He said that he couldn’t imagine turning down an invitation to the Masters, as the tournament has always been sacred to him.
On Tuesday, January 20, reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso joined the LIV Golf team and was announced as the fourth player on Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC. The announcement came a couple of weeks ahead of LIV’s season opener. This means the 21-year-old will have to forfeit his remaining college eligibility and the Masters invitation.
Following La Sasso’s big decision, caddie Kip Henley shared his thoughts on X.
“Holy Wowzer! I can’t imagine dumping my Master’s Invite but as a Southeastern boy the Master’s has always been sacred to me,” he wrote.
Earlier, La Sasso said that he was ‘incredibly excited’ to join Mickelson’s squad and take the next step in his career.
“It’s a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and I don’t take that lightly,” he said as per Golf Channel. “LIV Golf allows me to compete at the highest level on a global stage, and I thrive in a team environment, especially one with the camaraderie and support that defines HyFlyers GC.
“My focus is on learning, continuing to improve, and doing everything I can to help our team succeed,” he added.
Notably, La Sasso is the second NCAA individual champion signed by the PIF-sponsored league. Earlier, 2021 NCAA winner Turk Pettit played in the 2022 season but didn’t play the following seasons.
The LIV Golf 2026 season will see a few more new additions, such as Ben An, Thomas Detry, Victor Perez and Elvis Smylie, while Laurie Canter and Luis Masaveu are making their return.
LIV Golf Roster explored feat. Michael La Sasso
Here’s a look at the LIV Golf teams after signing Michael La Sasso:
- 4Aces GC: Dustin Johnson, Thomas Detry, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed
- Cleeks Golf Club: Martin Kaymer, Richard Bland, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez
- Crushers GC: Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri
- Fireballs GC: Sergio Garcia, Josele Ballester, Luis Masaveu, David Puig
- HyFlyers GC: Phil Mickelson, Michael La Sasso, Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale
- Korean Golf Club: Byeong Hun An, Minkyu Kim, Danny Lee, Younghan Song
- Legion XIII: Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Caleb Surratt
- Majesticks Golf Club: Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Laurie Canter, Sam Horsfield
- RangeGoats GC: Bubba Watson, Ben Campbell, Peter Uihlein, Matthew Wolff
- Ripper GC: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Elvis Smylie
- Smash GC: Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, Graeme McDowell
- Southern Guards GC: Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel
- Torque GC: Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Sebastián Muñoz, Carlos Ortiz
- Wild Card: Yosuke Asaji, Björn Hellgren, Anthony Kim, Richard T. Lee, Scott Vincent
