LIV Golf Indianapolis Round 3: Michael La Sasso Leads by One as Legion XIII Seize the Team Lead

A 22-year-old rookie who had never finished a LIV event inside the top 10 will sleep on the 54-hole lead of the season finale, and behind him sits a four-man pileup that includes a 53-year-old ironman, an Open champion and the man who opened the week with a 62.

Michael La Sasso of HyFlyers GC followed Friday's 60 with a 4-under 66 on Saturday to reach 13 under and lead LIV Golf Indianapolis by one. Laurie Canter (68), Thomas Detry (68), Richard Bland (65) and Cameron Smith (67) are tied for second at 12 under. In the Team Championship, Legion XIII shot 11 under for the day to take a one-shot lead over HyFlyers, with 4Aces GC sliding from first to fourth.

The Rookie Holds His Nerve

La Sasso's Saturday was not the clean sweep of Friday, but it was more than good enough. He got as far as 14 under during the round and briefly opened a three-shot cushion before the board tightened. The back nine began with a bogey sandwiched between two birdies, and the shot that kept him in front was an eagle at the par-5 14th.

This is new territory. It is the first time La Sasso has led going into a final round since winning the NCAA individual title at Ole Miss in May 2025, after starting his college career at NC State. This is only his 12th LIV start. "I'm happy to be in this spot," La Sasso said, and he noted that plenty of players from his college days have already won as professionals.

The history is on the table, too. Eugenio Chacarra became LIV's youngest winner at 22 in Bangkok in 2022. La Sasso would take that record by 50 days if he closes it out.

Bland Refuses to Go Away

The round of the day belonged to Bland, who shot 65 despite opening with a double bogey at the par-4 sixth. Bland answered with a birdie from eight feet at the seventh and made seven birdies in all. Bland has played every one of LIV's 58 stroke-play events and is still chasing a first individual win in the league. Now Bland heads to the final group with La Sasso and Canter, the league's oldest player paired with its youngest.

Bland was generous about the leader. "He's got a great future in front of him, wherever that future is," Bland said, a line that landed with extra weight given the uncertainty around the league.

Smith Lurks, Canter Steadies

Smith made three birdies in his first seven holes, gave strokes back between the 13th and 16th, then birdied the last after a wayward drive to finish one back. It has been 1,107 days since his last individual title, at Bedminster in 2023. "Pretty solid. It was pretty tricky out there, to be fair," Smith said.

Canter posted a second straight 68 after two birdies in his first four holes, and Detry matched him to stay in the hunt for a first LIV win after four top-five finishes this season. "It's absolutely stacked, isn't it?" Canter said of the leaderboard.

Sergio Garcia (66), Bubba Watson (67), Josele Ballester (65) and Younghan Song (65) are tied for sixth at 11 under. Jon Rahm shot a bogey-free 66 and sits in a group at 10 under with Bryson DeChambeau, Scott Vincent, Matthew Wolff, Thomas Pieters and Dean Burmester.

Saturday also had its casualties. Richard T. Lee, the 36-hole leader, shot 73 and fell into a tie for 23rd. Dustin Johnson, who started the day one back, signed for a 76 and dropped to 4 under.

Legion Takes the Lead

That Johnson round reshaped the Team Championship. 4Aces went 1 over as a team and fell from five clear to fourth at 30 under. Legion XIII pounced: Rahm and Tom McKibbin each shot bogey-free 66s, Tyrrell Hatton added 68 and Caleb Surratt 69, and the defending Team Champions now lead at 34 under.

HyFlyers are one back at 33 under, with La Sasso and Vincent each shooting 66, and the club has never won a team trophy. Ripper GC sit third at 31 under. Fireballs GC posted the best team round of the day at 14 under, led by Ballester and Garcia, to climb to 29 under, and Korean Golf Club went 11 under behind Song's 65 to reach 28 under. Ten of the 13 teams are within 11 shots of the lead.

With the Michigan event cancelled, the lowest 72-hole total here takes the season's team title, and the margins are tiny.

One Round Left

Fourteen players are within three shots of La Sasso, and the course has given up enough low scores all week that nobody can sit on a number. The leader has never been here as a pro. The chasers include a major champion, a player who has won on the DP World Tour in each of the last two seasons, and a veteran who has teed it up in every LIV stroke-play event without a win. The Team Championship is a one-shot race between the defending champions and a club that has never won, with Ripper and 4Aces close enough to crash it. Sunday will settle both.

Catch up on the Round 1 recap and Round 2 recap, and see the full details in the LIV Golf Round 3 recap (opens in a new tab).

Sources: LIV Golf (Round 3 recap), Field Level Media, Arab News, Australian Golf Digest (AAP), Golf News Net. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: Mateo Villalba/LIV Golf.