It had to be an awkward time for Tiger Woods, a very private man, when on Friday morning he stood before America and apologized for catting around behind his wife’s back and for the tabloid-inflamed scandal that followed.

"Every one of you has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior," said Woods.

And as one would expect many in the media, after long adoring America’s greatest golfer, were quick to jump in with criticism of the mea culpa as too little too late. Many felt the apology wasn’t sincere enough, or particularly heart-felt.

The verdict: Woods was permanently damaged by the scandal, would never regain the public’s trust, and would probably have a struggle on his hands latching onto new endorsement deals.

But the reality is that the public is always more forgiving than the media, and even the early polls are showing that Americans are more than happy to move beyond the entire Woods mess.

In a particularly revealing poll by EW.com, readers were asked: Do you forgive Tiger Woods?

More people said no than yes, 15 percent to 10 percent, but the largest share, the remaining 75 percent, agreed with the statement: “He didn't owe me an apology.”

That sentiment seems to carry over to other polls. Woods certainly committed indiscretions but they all related to his private life, and the public sentiment seems to be that they should remain there, between the golfer and his wife.

As an athlete Woods, like all athletes, owes much to his fans, and how he comes across as a person certainly matters. But Woods was not caught doing something that directly affected his performance on the course. He wasn’t caught using steroids, for example.

Probably the bigger burning issue with the public is when Woods will play again.

Another poll, this from MediaCurves.com, an online polling unit of HCD Research, led to results consistent with those of the EW.com poll.

Though many in the media criticized the sincerity of Woods’ apology, 60 percent of respondents thought Woods was sincere. Further, 64 percent thought his apology was sufficient.

As for the press conference overall, Woods appears to come out ahead in the public’s perception. Asked if the press conference change their perception of Woods, 54 percent said no, while 31 percent said they had a more positive perception of Woods. Just 17 percent said they had a more negative perception.

As a person, how does Woods rank after the press conference? Not great, but an okay to decent guy.

In likability, on a scale of one to seven, seven being extremely likeable, Woods scores a four. Ditto for believability. On sincerity, he earns a 4.1

The one area where Woods takes a beating is on whether the alleged affair has affected perceptions of the golfer. Fully 70 percent of respondents said they had a more negative perception of Woods as a result.

Just 4 percent said they had a more positive perception, while the remaining 27 percent said their perceptions had not been changed.

But perhaps the most telling responses came to the question: “Has this incident changed your likelihood of purchasing products endorsed by Tiger Woods?”

More than two thirds, 68 percent, said no. Six percent said they were more likely to buy a product endorsed by Woods, while 26 percent said they would be less inclined.

That’s the sort of data marketers will be looking at when considering endorsement deals with Woods once he returns, whether that’s in three months or nine.

But it’s probably not a huge worry for Woods, certainly not at this point. Most of his sponsors stood by him, even after Accenture and AT&T jumped and a couple of others said they would cut back.

As it is, Woods is not pressed for money, having passed the $1 billion income mark last fall in fees and sponsorships.

And when he does resume play, others will surely step in, once they see ratings shoot up and Woods fans return to the game.