LIV Golf has removed senior official Ron Cross, who was in charge of securing venues and helped run tournaments for the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.
The chief events officer, Cross was among the first hires when CEO and commissioner Greg Norman announced the league in November 2021.
“I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of launching LIV Golf,” Cross said in a statement he provided Wednesday to Sports Illustrated, which was the first of multiple media outlets to report Cross’ exit. “While surprised in the change in direction at this time, I remain incredibly proud of the job being done by my Event Delivery Colleagues, LIV Golf team members, the players, caddies, venue and vendor partners to make LIV Golf a tremendous experience and wish them all the best for continued success.”
Cross helped the league play an eight-event schedule starting in June 2022, as well as the construction of a 14-event slate in 2023. The tour is in West Virginia this week for its 10th event of the season at The Old White at Greenbrier.
“Ron Cross played an important role in the launch of LIV Golf and the establishment of our tournaments,” a LIV Golf spokesman said in a statement. “We are grateful for his contributions. The success of LIV events has always been rooted in our ability to evolve and do things differently and we remain committed to those fundamental ideas going forward.”
The future of the LIV Golf tour in its present format is uncertain. Two months ago, the rival PGA Tour made an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — which finances LIV — to form a new for-profit entity also involving the DP World Tour
Cross is the latest LIV executive to exit, including Majed Al Sorour, who was managing director and Golf Saudi CEO; chief operating officer Atul Khosla; and Matt Goodman, president of LIV franchises.
Cross had previously worked as an executive with the PGA Tour and Augusta National.