Michael La Sasso wins LIV Golf's season finale in Indianapolis

By Staff Writer

August 24, 2026

2 min read

Key takeaways

Michael La Sasso, the 2025 NCAA individual champion, won his first LIV Golf title at LIV Golf Indianapolis, beating Jon Rahm.
The event at The Club at Chatham Hills was the last of LIV's 2026 season after its Michigan team championship was canceled and folded into Indianapolis.
LIV will not be funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund beyond this season, and CEO Scott O'Neil is seeking new investors.
An unnamed lead investor, believed to be Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, was announced weeks ago, with few details made public.
Reports have surfaced of late player payments, missed vendor bills and a canceled tournament-week concert.

Michael La Sasso closed with a tap-in birdie on the final hole Sunday to beat Jon Rahm and win LIV Golf Indianapolis, his first title on the league, capping a season finale overshadowed by questions about LIV's future.

How did La Sasso win LIV Golf Indianapolis?

La Sasso, the 2025 NCAA individual champion, needed only a tap-in on the last hole at The Club at Chatham Hills to close out the win over Rahm. His teammates doused him with champagne afterward. The event also absorbed LIV's team championship, originally set for Michigan before that event was canceled and folded into the Indianapolis week.

What's next for LIV Golf's funding?

LIV will not be funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund beyond this season, leaving CEO Scott O'Neil to secure new backing for what the league is calling LIV 2.0. An unnamed lead investor, believed to be Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners, was announced weeks ago, though few specifics have been made public. The season also included reports of the league running late on payments to some players, missing vendor payments and canceling a tournament-week concert.

LIV closed its season with a trophy in one hand and a funding question in the other.

LIV veteran Ian Poulter captured the uncertainty last week, saying, "I think time might run out." Sunday's broadcast carried several season-ending farewells, the kind common to any league's finale, but the open questions about funding, direction and which stars stay gave this one a different tone.

Frequently asked questions

Who won LIV Golf's 2026 season finale?

Michael La Sasso, who beat Jon Rahm at LIV Golf Indianapolis for his first LIV title.

Is LIV Golf still funded by Saudi Arabia's PIF?

Not beyond the 2026 season. The league is seeking new investment, with an unnamed lead investor believed to be Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners.

Will LIV Golf continue in 2027?

The league says it plans to, under the name LIV 2.0, but funding and player commitments remain unresolved.

What happened to LIV's Michigan team championship?

It was canceled and its format was folded into the LIV Golf Indianapolis event instead.

The Loop take

A first LIV win for La Sasso is a real result, but it's a footnote to the bigger story: a league entering an offseason without its primary funder and without clarity on which of its stars will still be there next year.