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Will Tiger Woods quit golf for good?

There remains a very large unknown in Woods鈥檚 statement: Just how long will the best golfer in the universe be away from the sport? Broadcasters as well as fans are wondering when they might see Tiger Woods on the links again.

Can pro golf survive without Tiger Woods?

In the cold light of morning 鈥� after the golf superstar announced that he was leaving his clubs in the garage while he tries to pull his scandal-tainted life back together 鈥� the answer seemed to be a grimly-determined 鈥� maybe.

Survive, yes. But in a way that continues to attract hundreds of millions of regular fans, not to mention sponsors with very fat wallets? The answer here seems to be far more qualified.

Speaking at the Australian PGA on Saturday, pro golfer John Daly : 鈥淭hey always say there is no one bigger in golf than the game itself. But Tiger is.鈥�

By now, that he鈥檒l be taking 鈥渁n indefinite break from professional golf [in order to] focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person鈥� has ricocheted around the world.

they 鈥渇ully support Tiger鈥檚 decision to step away from competitive golf to focus on his family.鈥� What else could they say?

But there remained a very large unknown in Woods鈥檚 statement: Just how long will the best golfer in the universe be away from the sport? And broadcasters as well as fans are wondering when they might see Woods on the links again.

鈥淲e鈥檝e obviously done golf tournaments without Tiger before,鈥� Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports and News, 鈥淏ut we all know how much better they do when Tiger is playing well on the weekend.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檒l adjust,鈥� McManus added, 鈥渂ut I guess a lot of it depends on what the definition of the word 鈥榠ndefinite鈥� is.鈥�

Or as Australian golfer Geoff Ogilvy put it: "Indefinite is a scary word. If Tiger Woods indefinitely doesn't play golf, that's not good for us."

Peering into this great unknown 鈥� especially when Woods remains closeted in Orlando, taking no questions and offering no answers beyond his short statement acknowledging 鈥渋nfidelity鈥� (presumably a collective noun given the number of women involved) 鈥� gives opportunity for much speculation.

鈥淭iger鈥檚 absence is a horrendous development for golf,鈥� at Time.com. 鈥淏ut Tiger鈥檚 decision is not the death-knell many might suspect.鈥�

For one thing, Gregory predicts, 鈥淒on鈥檛 be surprised if a curious audience chooses to sample golf next year in higher numbers than expected.鈥�

Why鈥檚 that? Gregory says fans may stick around to see how the networks handle the scandal. Or they may begin pulling for another young player. 鈥淥f course, no other player has the charisma or talent of Tiger. But while Woods is away, fans may rehearse a golf life without him.鈥�

Perhaps.

For as Randall Mell at the Golf Channel observes, 鈥淲hen Woods doesn鈥檛 play, the game鈥檚 not the same.鈥�

Like many who love the sport and follow it professionally, Mell strains to find good news: 鈥淲hatever time Woods spends away, it鈥檚 good for Woods and the PGA Tour if he returns as 鈥榯he better father, husband and person鈥� he says he is trying to become.鈥�

That鈥檚 certainly true for Tiger Woods, but not clearly certain for professional golf.

鈥淢aybe we鈥檙e finally nearing the bottom of this awful story, but there鈥檚 no guarantee with media outlets continuing to dig,鈥� . 鈥淭he appetite for the scandal is staggering. The depth of the allegations is equally staggering. The story still needs a bottom, and here鈥檚 hoping Woods moved us closer to it with his statement. Here鈥檚 hoping he鈥檚 on his way to turning this story around and leading us all out of this mess.鈥�

See also:

After Tiger Woods's indefinite break, some sponsors might keep him

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