La Sasso wins LIV Indianapolis finale as Rahm, Smith await league's uncertain future

WESTFIELD, Ind. — Michael La Sasso, a 22-year-old rookie, earned his first professional victory at LIV Golf Indianapolis on Sunday, closing with a 5-under 65 to finish at 18 under, one stroke ahead of Jon Rahm. La Sasso, the 2025 NCAA individual champion from Mississippi, birdied the par-5 18th in a bogey-free round to snatch the title from a field that included Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

"I don't even know what to say," La Sasso said after collecting the $2 million winner's cheque, as reported by 7NEWS Australia. "I thought I played great all day and just waited for my moment and it finally came at the last. It's unbelievable. I'm at a loss for words."

The victory capped a remarkable week for La Sasso, who turned pro in January and joined HyFlyers GC, captained by Phil Mickelson. He shot a 10-under 60 on Friday and a 66 on Saturday to hold a one-shot lead entering the final round, according to Yardbarker. Rahm charged with a 7-under 63 but bogeyed his last hole, the par-4 first, to open the door for La Sasso, as detailed by multiple outlets including The Canberra Times and PerthNow.

Jon Rahm, the 31-year-old Spaniard, finished the season with his third straight LIV season points title and his second consecutive team crown with Legion XIII, as reported by the Associated Press. He closed with a 63 for his second straight runner-up finish in Indianapolis. "There's been a lot that's surrounded all of us pretty much since we joined," Rahm said, according to Yardbarker. "At the end of the day when you step on the golf course, it's just golf."

Rahm's Legion XIII also won the team title with a combined score of 44 under par, six shots better than HyFlyers GC, Yardbarker reported. Because the Team Championship in Michigan was canceled, the league said the team with the best score in Indianapolis would be crowned the 2026 champion, with a reduced bonus of $8.4 million.

Smith's collapse and Australian results

Cameron Smith, the Australian former world No. 2, started the final round one stroke off the lead but saw his chances evaporate with a three-putt bogey on the first hole. He shot a two-over-par 72 to finish tied for 17th at 10 under, extending a winless run that dates to LIV Bedminster in August 2023, as reported by 7NEWS Australia and The Canberra Times. Smith's 2027 LIV season is not yet set, with questions lingering over the league's future.

Marc Leishman was the leading Australian, firing a final-round 67 to finish tied for 10th at 12 under, while Lucas Herbert's 64 lifted him to equal 17th with Smith. Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia tied for third at 16 under, with DeChambeau shooting 64 and Garcia 65, according to Yardbarker.

LIV's uncertain future

The event at The Club at Chatham Hills was tinged with uncertainty about LIV's prospects. In April, it was announced that Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund would end its investment in the league after this season, with LIV having spent more than $5 billion in five years, as reported by the Associated Press. Organizers also canceled two events in 2026: New Orleans in June and the season-ending event in Michigan.

LIV CEO Scott O'Neil told reporters he was bullish about plans for 2027 and beyond, saying players would be equity owners and have their commercial rights restored. He outlined a plan for five team championships overseas and five individual tournaments in the United States. However, he did not name the lead investor with whom LIV has reached an agreement; several outlets have identified him as Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, who met with players on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. O'Neil said there was a deadline for players to commit to the new structure, though he did not specify a date.

Rahm is under contract through next season, while DeChambeau's contract expires this year, the Associated Press reported. DeChambeau, who did not speak with reporters after the event, expressed optimism about the transition. "As much as we're transitioning from LIV 1.0 to 2.0," he said, according to Yardbarker, "I have great thoughts about what could happen next year."

The tournament itself drew praise from fans despite historic flooding in central Indiana that forced organizers to improvise parking and shuttle arrangements. Last year's attendance at The Club at Chatham Hills exceeded 60,000, an American record for a LIV event, according to the Associated Press. The tour brought top-flight men's golf back to the Indianapolis area for the first time since it hosted the 2012 and 2016 BMW Championships.

Rahm, who is expecting his fourth child in October, said he was looking forward to going home "and mainly looking forward to a haircut because I need one badly." He also thanked fans and expressed sympathy for those affected by the flooding, saying his heart goes out to those who lost homes and loved ones.

Perspectives

  • LIV Golf leadership: CEO Scott O'Neil expresses confidence in the league's future, citing plans for player equity ownership and restored commercial rights. He notes a deadline for player commitment but does not name the would-be lead investor.
  • Players: Jon Rahm focuses on the competition itself, saying that once on the course, "it's just golf," while Bryson DeChambeau speaks of a transition from "LIV 1.0 to 2.0" and holds "great thoughts" about next year. Rookie winner Michael La Sasso expresses disbelief and joy at his first professional win.
  • Fans and local community: Spectators and organizers contend with historic flooding that disrupted logistics, yet attendance and enthusiasm remain high, with the tour restoring top-flight golf to the Indianapolis area after a multi-year absence.

As LIV Golf looks to a future that remains uncertain, the season finale in Indianapolis produced a memorable debut for La Sasso and a bittersweet farewell for Rahm, who closed another dominant season with titles in hand.