Atul Khosla departs as LIV Golf COO after just one season with the breakaway tour; LIV recently announced three new championship venues in the United States for the 2023 campaign, which begins in February.
Last Updated: 16/12/22 10:43pm
LIV Golf will begin a 14-tournament season in February
LIV Golf’s chief operating officer Atul Khosla has resigned after the Saudi-backed breakaway venture’s first season.
Khosla’s departure comes just over a year after his appointment having previously served as title of chief corporate development and brand officer with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Greg Norman, LIV’s commissioner, said in a statement to the New York Times: “At the conclusion of LIV’s successful inaugural season, Atul Khosla decided to move on.
“We respect AK and his personal decision.”
LIV’s introduction has been the source of division in the sport across the past year, drawing criticism for its Saudi investment given the country’s human rights violations.
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Tiger Woods has praised Rory McIlroy for being vocal in his support for the PGA Tour amidst the controversy surrounding the LIV Golf Tour.
The tour has meanwhile lured a number of high-profile players across from other circuits, including The Open champion Cameron Smith, with lucrative prize money and a shorter team format within a truncated season.
The PGA has notably handed indefinite suspensions to players that have made the switch, while the Ryder Cup future of LIV participants also remains uncertain.
Rory McIlroy has been among the leading voices in opposition to LIV and recently called for Norman’s removal as commissioner in order for them to reach a resolution with the PGA.
LIV will begin a 14-tournament season amounting to $405m in prize purses in February having recently added three championship venues in the United States to its schedule for the next year.
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Tiger and Charlie Woods both take to the Ritz-Carlton GC course as they play at the PNC Pro-Am Championship.
The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona (March 17-19), Cedar Ridge Country Club in Tulsa Oklahoma (May 12-14) and The Greenbrier in the Allgheny Mountains (August 4-5), West Virginia will host LIV Golf League events in 2023.
“LIV Golf’s expansion to new US markets adds to the growing excitement for the league launch in 2023,” said Norman.
“More fans across the country and around the globe will experience the LIV Golf energy and innovative competition that has reinvigorated the sport, and these championship courses will contribute to the transformative season ahead for players, fans and the game of golf.”
The events will likely feature the likes of Smith, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia, who are all part of the LIV tour.
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