ORLANDO: Tiger Woods halting his golf career will not bring "doom and gloom" to the US PGA Tour, commissioner Tim Finchem said Thursday, predicting a "successful" 2010 without the world number one.

Embattled Woods said a week ago he was taking an indefinite break to work on personal issues after admitting infidelity to wife Elin, who is reportedly set to divorce him following reports he had as many mistresses as major titles: 14.

"I think we will have a good year in '10," Finchem said. "I don't want to sugarcoat these issues. It's tough to have your number one guy out. Our hope is he can work through these issues and come back and play."

Finchem was parodied by Saturday Night Live last weekend, his predicament of selling the sport without Woods played for laughs amid fears of 50 percent TV viewership losses and sponsor pullouts with Woods disgraced and absent.

On Thursday, Finchem conducted a media conference call and television interviews to address such concerns.

"I think the doom and gloom needs to go away," Finchem said.

"I want him to come back and play, but we are going to be successful in '10. If Tiger is out for a couple of months or eight months or a year, we're going to have a successful year."

But with the PGA already reeling from a weak economy and sponsor pullouts, Finchem admits the US PGA will be clearly worse off without Woods than before.

"I'm not saying that I think everything is fine," Finchem said. "We're in a down economy. It's hard to sell. And having the number one player in our sport not play is not a positive thing and it does hurt television ratings.

"It won't be at the same levels without our number one player. No sport would be."

To bolster his sponsor optimism, Finchem said that Sony renewed sponsorship of the US PGA's first, full-field event of each season in Hawaii, giving the tour seven sponsor renewals and three new deals in 2009.

"I don't see corporate America backing away from golf over Tiger's issue and I do think at the end of the day after all the media scrutiny, if he can come back and play golf, that will be a positive thing," Finchem said.

"I'm not suggesting that his popularity level is going to soar again... but I think he will find, eventually, a significant amount of support."

Woods remains in seclusion in Florida and hitting golf balls alone at night to clear his head after therapy sessions which consist mainly of apologies to his wife, US magazine's website reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Multiple reports Wednesday said Elin, the Swedish model Woods married in 2004 and had two children with, is planning a divorce, with British oddsmaker William Hill already taking bets on how rich her divorce settlement would be.

Woods said he took his break to "focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person" but his wife has been seen in public without her wedding ring.

"We can only hope he is successful in working through those issues at some level acceptable to him that allows him to return to the sport and take his position as the leader of the sport," Finchem said.

Woods, who turns 34 on December 30, was called a "great asset for the PGA" by Finchem, who said he had not spoken with Woods since the turmoil began and added, "that mutually beneficial relationship will continue at the right time.

"I don't have any idea how long Tiger will be out."

Finchem is hopeful Woods will bring a boost whenever he returns.

"I look at Tiger spiking ratings off a significantly solid base when he plays," Finchem said. "I want that spike and I certainly want the attention he brings."

Curtis Strange, the 1988 and 1989 US Open champion, predicted a long road back for Woods but did not see the layoff as a major problem unless it keeps him out of April's Masters, the next major championship.

"I don't think this is a big deal until he misses his first major event. Then it becomes a big deal," Strange said on ESPN.

"When he comes back, I think it's going to be a long haul before he is comfortable on a golf course. I don't think he will be 100 percent until everything is smooth and over with."

A suspension for Woods under PGA rules for conduct appears unlikely.

"Historically, the PGA Tour has never... taken a situation in someone's personal life and dealt with it from a disciplinary matter," Finchem said. "Our regulations relate to conduct unbecoming that's either in the public or law enforcement arena."

Woods was issued a reckless driving citation for a November 27 accident in which he drove into a hydrant and a tree and was taken to a hospital, but no criminal charges were filed.

Doping fears regarding Woods being treated last February by Canadian doctor Anthony Galea, who is charged in Canada with trafficking in performance-enhancing drugs, are not a worry to Finchem.

"There's no reason for me to be concerned because I have no information to trigger a concern," Finchem said.