Michael La Sasso, the ultimate rookie, snatched victory from Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau at the LIV Golf season finale in Indianapolis – and he did so while the future of the controversial tour remains completely up in the air.
The big question: How, if at all, will the controversial LIV Tour return? For years, it lured golf's top stars with billions from Saudi Arabia, but now the financial injection from the Middle East has dried up.
The fate of stars like Rahm and DeChambeau is the crucial story here. Their future is entirely uncertain, and the rumor mill is buzzing: many could be aiming for a return to the PGA Tour.
“I believe there’s a lot of potential for the future. It’s definitely been an interesting journey,” said DeChambeau, who finished the season finale in a tie for third place. “Everything we’ve gone through, even the tough moments… that’s made us stronger. I have high expectations for what could happen next year. I wish I could speak more openly about it.”
The 2026 season ended with a bang: The 22-year-old La Sasso, the youngest player on the tour and now its youngest-ever winner, conjured up a perfect chip shot on the final hole to secure victory with a tap-in birdie.
He finished at 18-under par and carded a round of 65. Jon Rahm, who applied immense pressure, was just one shot behind after finishing his round of 63 with a disappointing bogey on the final hole. DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia shared third place, both at 16-under par.
Rahm had already secured his third (!) consecutive overall victory in the individual standings. Truly impressive. His team, Legion XIII, also claimed the team championship for the second time in a row. They're on a roll!
Whether Rahm can even defend these titles, however, remains uncertain. LIV Golf launched in 2022, attracting some of the biggest names from the PGA Tour, which in turn banned all LIV players from its tournaments. But in early 2026 – this year – the LIV Tour lost financial backing from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
LIV Golf's Team Championship event, planned for next week in Michigan, was canceled. This made the Indianapolis event the definitive end of the 2026 season. Incidentally, the prize purse in Indianapolis was only about half of the usual LIV sum: $10 million was distributed to the players, with just over $2 million going to the winner.
The organizers insist that a “LIV 2.0” will emerge – with a streamlined tournament schedule, less prize money, and new investors.
“Ultimately, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. The good things, and unfortunately some bad things that happened,” DeChambeau stated. “I want to be honest: not everything was perfect. But for the most part, we’ve done a solid job. And if I
