Players react to Tiger's indefinite leave

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Steve Stricker is one of Tiger Woods' closer peers and believes Woods' break is "a great thing to get his family life in order."

NAPLES, Fla. -- We know what Tiger Woods' impact on golf is when he's playing. Now we're about to find out -- again -- what it's like when he's not. For the second year in a row, the No. 1 player in the world will be out for an undetermined amount of time, albeit for an altogether different reason this time.

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While many players have been reluctant to discuss the private life of Woods following his early-morning SUV crash the day after Thanksgiving and the subsequent news and tabloid reports, they understand his importance and place in the game and what his absence will mean for them and the sport they play.

"We all know what kind of effect there is when he doesn't play in tournaments, let alone taking time off," said Nick Price from the Shark Shootout. "The golf world is going to miss him."

"We need him out here because of sponsorships and just the awareness in our TOUR in general," Steve Stricker said .

"No doubt we're gonna miss him," Boo Weekley said. "But he ain't bigger than the game and he'd probably [be] the first one to tell you that."

For Woods, it's the second extended break he will take from professional golf in two years. The last was to recover from season-ending knee surgery following his 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines in which he missed eight months. When he will return this time is far less certain.

"Contrary to what everyone believes, the TOUR will go on," Chris DiMarco said. "You take probably the greatest competitor we've seen in the game out of the equation [and] it's going to be a downer. It's going to be tough for everybody."

"Sometimes you think he is superhuman, and he is with some of the things he's done on the golf course. He's the greatest closer in the game. This is about Tiger and his family, though. Golf is secondary right now. We were without him [in 2008] and it was awful, but this is way worse. This is life. This is reality."

That reality was addressed by Woods on his Web site Friday, when he announced that he has decided to take "an indefinite break from professional golf."

"I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person," Woods said on TigerWoods.com. "I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused so many people, most of all my wife and children."

The words indefinite and break were constant conversation at the Shark Shootout, where more media than usual turned up seeking reaction from players.

"We want him to play as soon as possible, but understand the situation he's in," said Tim Clark, who earlier this year beat Woods at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Woods' first tournament back from knee surgery. "And when he does come back, he's still going to be the most exciting player in the world."

Coming back from a torn ACL brought with it one set of questions, limited mostly to the physical constraints of swinging a golf club at warp speed on a rebuilt knee. Whenever Woods resumes playing golf this time, the questions will be different and focused, at least in part, on how he will rebuild his image.

"He disappointed a lot of people," said Price. "He's got a problem and needs to address it."

Woods, for the most part, has the support of his fellow players, though reactions remained varied.

"Staying away is a great thing to get his family life in order," Stricker said.

"I hope he comes back a changed man," added Price.

How changed?

"It was a little unfair how we have built him up over the years," Stricker said. "Obviously, on the course he's one of a kind. But I think it's a little unfair how we judged him. Shame on us for thinking that's all he went home to do, think about golf, practice and that was it.

"It's most definitely a shock to everybody to hear what's been going on. No one really knew what he was like off the course. Hopefully he gets his priorities straight and gets back soon."