(Reuters) – LIV Golf’s chief operating officer Atul Khosla has stepped down after the inaugural season of the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit, its commissioner Greg Norman told the New York Times.
Before joining LIV Golf, Khosla was the chief corporate development and brand officer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL).
“At the conclusion of LIV’s successful inaugural season, Atul Khosla decided to move on,” Norman said in a statement. “We respect A.K. and his personal decision.”
Reuters has contacted LIV Golf for comment.
LIV Golf has lured players with lucrative prize money and a reduced schedule, while the U.S.-based PGA Tour has suspended members who opted to join the rival circuit.
Among the high-profile players who joined LIV Golf are World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson, two-time major champion Dustin Johnson and 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau.
The 2023 season is due to begin in February.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue)