LIV GOLF RIYADH

February 5, 2026

Michael La Sasso

Riyadh Golf Club

HyFlyers GC

Quick Quotes

Q. First official round as a pro. Did it feel any different tonight versus any other nights this week, any nerves? How did you feel out there on the tee?

MICHAEL LA SASSO: Not really. I think my caddie did a pretty good job keeping me cool, calm and collected. It was nice playing with Josele. I played a decent bit with him in college, so kind of knowing that I could go talk to him a good bit. Then I kind of started messing with Richard a little bit, which he was kind of loving it. The dynamic of the group was very fun. It was exciting. It never really felt too stressful at any time, which was nice.

Q. Had you ever played with Richard before?

MICHAEL LA SASSO: I have not. I saw him one time at Oakmont's bakery, and I think he had like seven doughnuts with him. Besides that, no. He was great to play with today, so we had a blast.

Q. You finished at 3-under, six birdies, a few bogeys. How would you assess your first round?

MICHAEL LA SASSO: It was good. I definitely think there's a lot of positives to be taken away from today, especially when you're kind of making your debut, things can be a little bit stressful. I thought the way I handled myself was pretty good. Definitely a couple things to sharpen up, get ready for the week, but I thought I played pretty good today being my first round professional.

Q. With the team component here, I don't know if this is really different from what you're accustomed to just coming out of college, but did you find yourself at all trying to keep up with the team leaderboard, or how did that play into anything? Were you just focused on your round?

MICHAEL LA SASSO: Definitely a little bit. I think kind of trying to figure out how to play now as a new team, it's a little bit different of a dynamic than what I was used to in college, considering we count all four scores now. I think that comes to play a little bit, but other than that, it felt pretty similar. It's nice playing in college. It's nice playing on a team. It's nice playing out here. I thought it was a good time today.

Q. This week's schedule obviously a little bit different from any other week that we have with the nighttime. What's your nighttime and next day schedule or routine look like getting ready for round 2?

MICHAEL LA SASSO: Kind of how it's been the rest of the week. Me personally, I like playing under the lights. I think it's so cool. It's funny having a pro debut being under the lights; it's a little bit different. So far I've had a blast. I think it's so cool seeing the way the night sky is lit up and everything. To have the ability to come out and play with it being such a cool experience, you're kind of sitting there just trying to take in everything around you, and I love how there's music playing consistently. It's something that it's just not that quiet all the time, which I think is nice. Having a little bit of movement, you can kind of think about the music a little bit, and it's easy to take your mind off of golf, which is big for me. Besides that, I think it's great playing at night.