Gillette has become the first major sponsor of Tiger Woods to distance itself from the golf star after the storm over his private life.

It said it would limit Woods’s role in its marketing while the champion took time off to repair his personal life.

The golfer has announced he is taking an indefinite break from professional golf to tackle his problems.

In a statement released on his website, he admitted to “infidelity”, after weeks of press speculation.

Woods promotes brands ranging from AT&T to Nike, an array of endorsements which helped him become the first sports star to earn $1bn (£0.6bn), the Associated Press reports.

The personal life of the 14-times major winner hit the headlines two weeks ago when he crashed a car into a tree outside his Florida home.

Sordid headlines connecting him to several women have since followed and, although Gillette says its move was made out of respect for his privacy, it could be a sign of things to come, the BBC’s Andy Gallacher reports from Miami.