Tiger Woods’ self imposed absence from the world of golf could damage the long-term appeal of the game, insiders from the sport today warned.

Woods has been at the helm of the golfing world for the last decade with his skills helping to boost sponsorships and ratings but his absence is set to leave a huge vacuum.

The warning comes as fallout from his infidelity admission started to hit home with one major sponsor distancing themselves from golfer and another saying they were evaluating their relationship.

Woods has announced he will take an indefinite break from the sport to try and save his marriage.

The 33-year-old, who is married to Swedish former model Elin Nordegren, admitted “infidelity” for the first time this weekend and said he was putting his career on hold.

The world’s number one golfer, who had been swamped by a series of affair allegations since crashing his car in mysterious circumstances on November 27th, vowed to do his best to try to repair the “disappointment and hurt” caused by his actions.

But American golfer Stewart Cink warned Woods’ absence could “hurt ratings”, while the voice of golf, Peter Alliss, suggested Woods may decide never to play again.

When the golfer was out of action from July 2008 until the end of February this year because of a knee operation, television ratings dropped almost 50 per cent.

Cink explained: “I don’t think it’s any rocket science in saying him not being involved in golf for a while is going to hurt ratings.

“He’s exciting. And him not being there makes it less exciting. No one can take the place of Tiger Woods out there.”

Alliss, a former Ryder Cup player, warned that if Woods does not play professionally again in the coming months he may never play again.

He told the BBC: “But if he doesn’t play for the first six months of next year then he might have decided he’s come to the end of the road.

“He’s going to have to put up with a lot of nonsense and ridicule and comment for the next 20 to 30 years and it depends on how well he tackles that.

“He’s in a very nasty awkward position of his own making, I’m afraid.”

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie said he hoped the sport hadn’t been damaged by the scandal.

He explained: “There is a mystique which has been lost now and let’s hope that golf isn’t damaged by that — and it shouldn’t be.”

Yesterday shaving giant Gillette said it would be limiting the golfer’s marketing role.

And US phone firm AT&T said it supported his decision but added it was “presently evaluating our ongoing relationship”.

So far Woods’ main sponsor, Nike, has stood firm alongside the golfer.

But the next few days could be crucial for Woods and his team as other sponsors may decide the time is right to follow the example of Gillette and AT&T.

Gillette — for whom Woods has appeared in a series of TV adverts alongside tennis superstar Roger Federer and French footballer Thierry Henry — said in a statement yesterday: “In the midst of a difficult and unfortunate situation, we respect the action Tiger is taking to restore the trust of his family, friends and fans.

“We fully support him stepping back from his professional career and taking the time he needs to do what matters most. We wish him and his family the best.

“As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programmes.”

The firm’s spokesman Damon Jones said Woods would not be appearing in the company’s next television campaign or in any forthcoming press adverts.