Stephenson, who had been a member of the influential policy board since 2012, stepped down from it over the weekend, with his sharply worded resignation letter reported by theand others. The exec said he could not abide the deal brokered between the PGA and upstart rival LIV, which is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
“I have serious concerns with how this framework agreement came to fruition without board oversight,” Mr. Stephenson wrote, adding he cannot “objectively evaluate or, in good conscience support” it “particularly in light of the U.S. intelligence report concerning Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.” Khashoggi, a dissident and columnist for theand other outlets, was killed inside a Saudi embassy in Turkey. U.S. intelligence officials have subsequently said it was a government-ordered killing.