Michael La Sasso: Being on PGA Tour ‘makes my younger self scream’ | Golf Central | Golf Channel

From winning the NCAA men’s individual championship to competing on the PGA Tour, Michael La Sasso’s last few weeks have been a whirlwind. He joins Golf Central to reflect on it all and his excitement for what’s next. #Golf #GolfCentral #GolfChannel
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Michael La Sasso: Being on PGA Tour ‘makes my younger self scream’ | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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IT WOULD BE EXCITING. ONE OF THE AMATEURS IN THE FIELD THIS WEEK WILL BE MICHAEL. LAST WEEK HE WON THE NCAA MEN’S INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND JUST COMPLETED HIS JUNIOR SEASON AT OLE MISS. AND WAS THE SECOND REBEL IN FACT TO WIN AN INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL TITLE. BRAIDEN THORNTON BERRY WAS THE OTHER. HE IS CURRENTLY THE THIRD- RANKED AMATEUR IN THE WORLD. WE’RE DELIGHTED TO TELL YOU THAT MICHAEL IS JOINING US RIGHT NOW FROM ILLINOIS. YOU WIN THE NCAA INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN MAY, MICHAEL. THEN YOU GO PLAY AT THE ARNOLD PALMER CUP AND THEN YOU COMPETE AT THE U.S. OPEN AMONGST OTHERS. WHAT’S THE LAST MONTH OR SO BEEN LIKE IN YOUR LIFE? >> VERY BUSY. IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE. KIND OF JUST TALKING WITH FAMILY AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. THE LAST LIKE MONTH AND A HALF HAS BEEN A WHIRLWIND BUT IT’S BEEN EXCITING AND VERY FUN AND I HAVE PLAYED WITH PEOPLE THAT I HAVE LOOKED UP PLAYING GOLF WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. SO KIND OF BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT AND MAKES ANY YOUNGER SELF KIND OF SCREAM ON THE INSIDE HAVING TO ABILITY TO COME PLAY WITH THE GUYS OUT HERE. >> WINNING THE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE NCAA YOU JOIN THE LIKES OF JACK NICKLAUS AND BEN CRENSHAW AND TIGER WOODS AMONGST OTHERS TO HAVE ACHIEVED THE SAME. WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHETHER IT’S THAT YOUNGER SENSE OF YOURSELF YOU WERE JUST REFERENCING OR OTHERWISE, WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT COMPANY? >> YEAH, YOU ARE GIVING ME GOOSE BUMPS JUST EVEN SAYING THAT. IT’S COOLEST THING IN THE WORLD. I JUST — HAVING TO ABILITY TO GO OUT THERE AND COMPETE WITH A GOOD GROUP AT GUYS AT OLE MISS AND WAS ABLE TO WIN THAT. STILL REALLY HONESTLY HASN’T FULLY SET IN YET BUT I’M SURE WHEN I GO BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL AND KIND OF TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS IT WILL REALLY START TO SINK IN. >> WARM YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF OAKMONT FOR THE U.S. OPEN? >> YEAH, IT WAS GREAT, YOU KNOW. IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY I WAS SITTING THERE IN THE PLAYER DINING AND KIND OF JUST HAD RORY McILROY AND SCHEFFLER WALK IN. BEING ABLE TO SEE THE PLAYERS IN THE FLESH KIND OF THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT, AND PLAYING IN A FIELD WITH ALL OF THE BIG NAMES. SO JUST KIND OF BEEN ABLE TO BE OUT THERE. IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. THE GOLF COURSES ARE VERY, VERY SPECIAL TO ME. YOU KNOW, I WAS KIND OF BORN UP NORTH. GOOD TO BE ABLE TO PLAY AT OAKMONT. YEAH, IT’S JUST THE COOLEST EXPERIENCE EVER AND I PLAYED PRACTICE ROUNDS WITH A BUNCH OF HUGE GUYS AND I ACTUALLY PLAYED WITH MARK HUBBARD DURING THE EVENT. SAW HIM AT THE ROCKET CLASSIC LAST WEEK AND HE PLAYED WELL. JUST BEING AROUND ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT’S VERY SPECIAL. >> YEAH, SO HAVING HAD THE CHANCE TO BE AROUND THOSE PEOPLE AND HAVING YOUR GAME COMPARED SIDE BY SIDE, WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ARE IN YOUR GAME COMPARED TO WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN? >> YEAH. IT’S ALWAYS — YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING WITH MY COACH, COACH MALLOY ACTUALLY ABOUT THIS EARLIER ON THE PHONE. BUT YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS ARE VERY, VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE THEY’RE NOT SUPER HEROES. YOU KNOW, I STILL SEE ERRANT SHOTS HERE AND THERE. KIND OF KNOWING I’M OUT HERE AND ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THEM AND LIQUEFY DO EVERYTHING I CAN DO IN MY POWER, I THINK I FIT OUT HERE PERFECTLY WITH THEM. SO. >> ALL RIGHT, WHEN YOU SEE WHAT LUDVIG ABERG OR LUKE CLANTON WERE ABLE TO DO YOU KNOW, RISING RAPIDLY FROM THE COLLEGE RANKS INTO PROFESSIONAL RANKS. DOES THAT GIVE YOU A MARK, DOES THAT GIVE YOU A PATH TO AIM FOR IN YOUR CAREER TOO WHEN IT COMES TIME? >> FOR SURE. IT’S VERY INSPIRING. BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS A LITTLE BILL, YOU KNOW, I PLAYED A BUNCH OF GOLF WITH LUKE CLANTON. AT THE END OF THE YEAR THERE, AND KIND OF BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT HE IS — VERY MUCH A TOP PLAYER AND TOP 100 PLAYER IN THE WORLD PROFESSIONALLY. AND KIND OF PLAYING AGAINST HIM AND COMPETING AGAINST HIM. SO KIND OF KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PLAYERS AROUND US THAT HAVE ALREADY KIND OF BLITZED IT AND BEING AROUND THEM AND SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO. I MEAN, IT’S INSPIRING YOU KNOW. KIND OF LIGHTS A FIRE UNDINE TO KIND OF GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, IMPROVE ON WHAT I CAN AND JUST KIND OF FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS AND DO WHAT I CAN DO. >> MICHAEL, THERE’S A CLEAR JOY THAT EMANATES FROM YOU, YOU HAVE YOUR OWN TYPE OF VIBE. SO THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A WEIRD QUESTION. BUT WHEN I WAS HOSTING “GOLF CENTRAL” THE WEEK OF THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS, I STARTED CALLING YOU MICHAEL LA QUAD. SO I’M CURIOUS, DID YOU SEE ANY OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION TO — FROM THE SHORTS THAT YOU WERE WEARING DURING THE NCAAs? >> A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, I HAVE KIND OF HAD MY SWING INSTRUCTORS POSTED A LOT OF VIDEOS SO I HAVE GOTTEN SOME COMMENTS ON THEM BEFORE. YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT I REALLY SHY AWAY FROM AT ALL. IT’S KIND OF LIKE A — A PERSONALITY THING THAT, YOU KNOW, COMFORTABLE DOING. BUT I THINK IT’S HILARIOUS YOU KNOW. I ALWAYS KIND OF LAUGH AT NIGHT JUST SEEING THAT AND THAT’S SOMETHING THAT A GOOD WAY TO DISCONNECT FROM THE GOLF COURSE A LITTLE BIT KIND OF JUST LAUGHING AT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY AND IT’S — IF THAT’S THE TOPIC ABOUT ME, I’M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT. >> YEAH, IT’S COOL THAT YOU HAVE THAT ABILITY TO DISCONNECT AND HAVE FUN WITH IT. WITH YOUR WIN AT LA COSTA, LIKELY EARN AN INVITATION TO THE MASTERS. WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT PLAYING AT AUGUSTA? >> YEAH. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TWO YEARS AGO NOW. WE HAD A MEMBER AT OLE MISS AND GOT US OUT THERE TO PLAY. >> AWESOME. >> AND YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT WEEK AT SCHOOL. STILL HAVING THE ABILITY TO GO OUT THERE AND WITH NO FANS AND SEE HOW GREEN THAT PLACE REALLY IS AND TRULY HOW SPECIAL THAT PLACE IS. IT’S VERY EXCITING IF I GET TO PLAY IN THE MASTERS AND SEE WHAT THE CROWD OF PEOPLE AND JUST IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE THE COOLEST THING EVER. >> YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL YOUR SENIOR YEAR IS COMING UP. AND OF COURSE THE WALKER CUP IS AT AN ICONIC VENUE. WHAT’S THE NEXT FEW MONTHS GOING TO BE LIKE FOR YOU? NOT COMPARING IT NECESSARILY TO THE WHIRLWIND YOU HAVE BEEN ON BUT WHAT ARE THE NEXT FEW MONTHS GOING TO BE LIKE? >> YEAH. I HAVE BEEN TALKING JUST WITH PEOPLE AROUND ME. LIKE I HAVE A VERY — SPECIAL FEW WEEKS OF GOLF COMING UP. WHICH I’M VERY FORTUNATE TO BE A PART OF. BUT PLAYING A WALKER CUP, ESPECIALLY THE 50th ONE AT CYPRESS POINT. ALONG WITH LIKE SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND AMATEUR GOLF. I MEAN, I HAVE HAD THAT EVENT CIRCLED ON MY CALENDAR FOR HONESTLY THE LAST TWO YEARS. SO BEING ABLE TO BE PICKED FOR THAT AND BEING ABLE TO GO PLAY THAT, AT END OF THE SUMMER, IS — REALLY KIND OF LIKE WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST. KIND OF HAVING THE WHIRLWIND OF PLAYING IN THE U.S. OPEN AND THEN HOPEFULLY GETTING AN INVITE INTO THE MASTERS, YOU KNOW, IT’S KIND OF JUST LIKE — IT’S HONESTLY SOUNDING SILLY EVEN SAYING THAT BUT JUST TO BE ABLE TO GOTH VENUES THEY’RE AT AND BE A PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE AND TO BE A PART OF HISTORY IS REALLY THE COOLEST THING. >> MIKE, CONGRATULATIONS WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND BEST OF LUCK MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE YOU HAVE GOT A BUSY SCHEDULE STILL JET AND OF COURSE