The LIV Golf League has signed NCAA champion Michael La Sasso while releasing Jinichiro Kozuma, who discovered the decision through social media. These roster changes come as the Official World Golf Ranking considers granting LIV events ranking points. The moves highlight ongoing debates about merit and team composition in the Saudi-funded league.
The LIV Golf League recently bolstered its roster by signing Michael La Sasso, the NCAA champion ranked No. 3 in the PGA Tour University standings. La Sasso would have secured full Korn Ferry Tour status had he remained in the top 10 of that ranking. In a contrasting move, the league removed Jinichiro Kozuma, who ended the previous season 32nd in the standings with three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up position in Dallas.
Kozuma, who was part of the Iron Heads team—now rebranded as Korea Golf Club—learned of his release only after reading about it on social media. He subsequently contacted other teams in search of a spot but found limited opportunities. In an email to Sports Illustrated, translated by his manager, Kozuma explained: “What I found was that teams seemed to be building their rosters not only based on results but also based on team identity and the type of player profile they were looking for. In that sense, I think it was simply difficult to find the right fit for me within the available team openings at that time.”
These adjustments occur amid scrutiny from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), which is evaluating whether to award points to LIV events. OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman noted last month that a key challenge is the league's reliance on invitations rather than earned qualifications, unlike the 24 other tours in the system. “That’s one of the beauties of our sport is earning your way onto a tour, fighting to keep your job on that tour,” Immelman said at the PNC Championship.
The OWGR board was set to meet on Wednesday, with a potential decision on LIV forthcoming by week's end, though not formally on the agenda. Recently, the OWGR reduced points for 54- and 36-hole tournaments. LIV, preparing for its fifth season starting next week, has responded by extending events to 72 holes and introducing more qualifying pathways, yet its player turnover remains lower than other tours.
Beyond the top 48, players like Henrik Stenson faced relegation. From the 'open' zone (24th to 48th), four were not retained: Kevin Na, Jinichiro Kozuma, Max Lee, and Matt Jones. Meanwhile, LIV added established players such as Thomas Detry, Byeong Hun An, and Victor Perez. Notably, six of the league's 13 teams feature all four players born in the same country, emphasizing national alignments in roster building.
