LIV Golf leading executive in shock mystery exit

Just days after telling the media it was his mission as LIV Golf’s chief operating officer to “to get us on TV, get corporate partners and realise these milestones that we really need to hit” Atul Khosla quit the Saudi-funded circuit.

The news of the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guru’s resignation came as a surprise, not only to the world’s press but also to LIV players. “Atul is an impressive man who has been doing a great job,” one agent told Telegraph Sport, saying that the reasons for his exit are a mystery.

However, it has since been learned that at the concluding LIV event of this year’s eight-tournament series, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that is bankrolling the breakaway league, made it clear that greater inroads were expected. Khosla left soon afterwards

“At the conclusion of LIV's successful inaugural season, Atul Khosla decided to move on. We respect AK and his personal decision," LIV said in a statement.

The shock departure indicates the levels of tension and expectancy as LIV desperately tries to secure its foothold. Not only has no TV deal been announced with the 2023 schedule beginning in February, but LIV CEO Greg Norman had promised there would be further big signings to join the likes of Open champion Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson. They have yet to materialise.

Instead, the most predominant LIV headlines have involved Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy urging for Norman to be relieved his role in order for peace talks to ensue with the traditional tours. Khosla was regarded as a respected figure and as the commercial brain at LIV and his sudden farewell can only be viewed as a setback to the Norman enterprise.

Khosla is the second prominent executive to leave the company, with Sean Bratches, who arrived from Formula 1 as chief commercial officer, walking out even before the first $25million LIV event was staged in Hertfordshire in June. Last month, Telegraph Sport reported that Al-Rumayyan, who is also chairman of Newcastle United, had met with Mark King, the former TaylorMade and Adidas executive, with speculation rising that the industry big-hitter could be brought in at the helm with Norman moving upstairs.

It will be interesting to see if King, who is now the CEO at Taco Bell, can be enticed to LIV and in which role. Sports Illustrated has revealed that, in the meantime, Performance 54, the England-based agency, is handling Khosla’s duties “with the possibility of a broader role to come”.

"We are working closely with some of our most trusted partners, who have been integral since LIV's inception and are supporting our structural transition and introduction of exciting new developments ahead of our first full season," the statement added.