LIV Golf's Chief Events Officer Out, Was Architect of League Schedules
Ron Cross, an executive in charge of securing venues and helping run tournaments for the LIV Golf League, has been abruptly removed from his position.
Both Cross and LIV Golf confirmed that the former PGA Tour and Augusta National executive is no longer in his role at as Chief Events Officer.
"I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of launching LIV Golf," Cross said in a statement he provided to Sports Illustrated on Wednesday. “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 declined further comment.
Among the first announced hires by CEO and commissioner Greg Norman when the league was first unveiled in November 2021, Cross was charged with securing venues as the startup golf league began playing events in June 2022 just nine weeks after establishing an eight-event schedule.
He also helped put together the 14-event 2023 schedule that continues this week with LIV Golf Greenbrier in West Virginia and was working on the 2024 schedule, which is expected to proceed as planned while details of the "framework agreement" between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudia Arabia—LIV’s backer—are negotiated.
"Ron Cross played an important role in the launch of LIV Golf and the establishment of our tournaments," said Doug Mayer, a LIV Golf spokesman. "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."
Cross had two stints with the PGA Tour and his duties included being heavily involved in events such as the Players Championship, Tour Championship and Presidents Cup.
For several years, he was an executive at Augusta National during Billy Payne’s tenure as club and Masters chairman and directed the organization’s grow-the-game initiatives such as the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and the Latin America Amateur Championship.
It is unclear if Cross's position at LIV Golf will be filled. The sports agency Performance 54 has been handling chief operating officer duties and other operational aspects for LIV Golf.