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Poll: Tiger Woods' popularity plummets after scandal

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey reveals a split along racial lines on how people view Tiger Woods now.
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey reveals a split along racial lines on how people view Tiger Woods now.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Poll shows Woods' popularity drops at about the same level with men and women
  • Poll: African-Americans more apt than whites to have favorable feelings about Woods
  • Overall favorable rating was 85% in 2005; that figure is down to 34% now

(CNN) -- The popularity of golfer Tiger Woods has plummeted in the weeks since his now-infamous car crash and infidelity admission, according to a new poll.

In the survey conducted December 16-20, Woods' favorable rating dropped to 34 percent. That compares to a rating of 60 percent in early December, days after Woods' crash.

In 2005, the star golfer's favorable rating was at 85 percent.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Tuesday indicated the drop in Woods' popularity was not as dramatic among African-Americans.

About two-thirds of blacks still held a favorable view of Woods, while only 28 percent of whites felt the same way.

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Views of women and men were similar; 40 percent of men liked Woods, compared with 39 percent of women, the poll showed.

Woods' woes started late in November when he crashed his car outside his Florida mansion. Authorities issued a citation for careless driving, and he was given a $164 fine.

Woods was not required to talk to police about the wreck and declined to talk with investigators on several occasions.

In the week after the crash, Woods apologized for "transgressions" that let his family down. The same day, US Weekly published a report alleging that Woods had an affair with Jaimee Grubbs, a 24-year-old cocktail waitress.

US Weekly's report followed a National Enquirer article before the crash that the athlete was having an affair with New York nightclub hostess Rachel Uchitel, an assertion she vigorously denied, according to The New York Post.

After that, several other women came forward alleging to have had liaisons with Woods.

Shortly after, Woods posted an admission of infidelity on his Web site and said he was taking a break from golf to focus on his family.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted by telephoning 1,160 adult Americans, including 259 African-Americans and 786 whites. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.