The British Tabloid, the Sun, is now reporting on it's website that Tiger Woods, the #1 player in the world, may be quitting golf in order to save his marriage. According to a source, said to be a friend of Tiger's wife, Elin Nordegren, ""They have agreed to try and rebuild their marriage, but Elin will be the one calling the shots. It will be a long time before he's traveling the globe playing golf unless Elin's by his side. Tiger will have to work long and hard to get her to trust him again. Quitting golf shows he is willing to sacrifice something he loves so much to protect his family....."

If Tiger Woods were to quit the game of golf, a long list of people stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Here's the short list:

1) The PGA Tour: The number of viewers in tournaments in which Tiger Woods appears is more than 100% greater than the number of viewers when Tiger is not in contention. Tiger transcends the game of golf, bringing viewership from people like me, who have no interest in watching the same old guys doing the same old thing. His level of play, along with the "color" he brings to the sport is virtually unprecedented.

2) Tiger Woods himself: Over 90% of the billion dollars Tiger has earned throughout his career has come from corporate sponsorships. Leaving the game of golf not only steals Tiger's primary method for rehabilitating his image, it also implies that companies will walk away. I fully expected Tiger to earn another two billion dollars before he was done playing. This can't possibly happen if he walks away.

3) The Nike Corporation: Nike has invested well over $100 million dollars in Tiger Woods, and their entire golf division is dependent upon his success. If Tiger quits playing golf, then Nike shareholders are going to feel the heat. The executives with the closest relationships with Tiger Woods are going to have to start from ground zero.

There are a multitude of other entities that will feel the financial pinch if Tiger Woods quits playing golf. Television networks who've made long-term deals with the PGA are going to experience financial losses, and even our nation is going to lose the chance to see the man who changed his game more than any other athlete in American history. If Tiger does leave the sport, it is my greatest hope that it's only temporary. Either way, there has never been a golf course to challenge Tiger the way his wife is challenging him now. Golf has been, to this point, Tiger's reason for living. The unfolding saga is amazing.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.