>> MIKE TIRICO WHO LEADS GOLF
COVERAGE FOR NBC SPORTS, GOOD
MORNING TO YOU.
GOSH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT
ACCIDENT SCENE, AND AFTER THE
IMMEDIATE ISSUE OF, IS HE OKAY,
DID HE MAKE IT, YOU THINK ABOUT
THE FUTURE, WHAT IT HOLDS FOR
HIM.
WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> YEAH, SAVANNAH, WHEN I SAW --
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
WHEN I SAW THE CAR, I WAS
THINKING IT WAS MORE LIKE A
NASCAR EVENT, WHERE YOU WATCH A
SERIOUS CRASH.
THE DRIVER IS LUCKY TO GET OUT
ALIVE.
THANK GOODNESS A LOT OF THE
TECHNOLOGY IS IN OUR PASSENGER
CARS.
THE FUTURE IS SO HARD TO EVEN
WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND.
KNOWING TIGER, KNOWING ALL THAT
HE’S BEEN THROUGH, ON THE GOLF
COURSE, WITH HIS HEALTH, WITH
HIS PERSONA, EVERYTHING, TIGER
WAS REACHING A POINT WHERE GOLF,
ON THE GOLF COURSE, IN TERMS OF
COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST, WAS
LESS IMPORTANT.
THE NEXT PHASE OF HIS LIFE WAS
STARTING TO GET GOING.
BEING A DAD WAS A HUGE PART OF
WHAT HE’S BEEN DOING THE LAST
FEW YEARS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST THOUGHT,
HOPEFULLY NOW THAT WE KNOW TIGER
IS GOING TO SURVIVE THIS CRASH,
THAT HE CAN HAVE SOME SORT OF A
NORMAL LIFE WITH HIS KIDS.
I THINK FOR THOSE OF US WHO KNOW
TIGER OR HAVE ENJOYED HIS
GREATNESS, THAT’S KIND OF DOWN
THE ROAD.
THAT’S LESS SIGNIFICANT.
WE’VE SEEN ALL OF THAT THAT WE
NEED TO SEE IN OUR LIVES, AT
LEAST FROM WHERE I SIT.
>> HE WON THE MASTERS IN ’97,
FAMOUSLY HUGGING EARL OFF 18.
IN 2019, HE HAS THE COMEBACK WIN
AT THE MASTERS AGAIN, WHERE HE
HUGS CHARLIE.
DO YOU THINK THE BOOKENDS OF
THAT MOMENT ARE ENOUGH FOR TIGER
TO WALK AWAY FROM THE GAME OF
GOLF AFTER THIS?
>> IF HE HAS TO, YEAH.
THAT MOMENT, TO COME BACK --
BECAUSE HE SAID, AND HE MAY HAVE
SHARED THIS WITH YOU OVER TIME,
HIS KIDS ONLY KNEW THE TIGER
WOODS THEY’D SEE IN HIGHLIGHTS
OR VIDEOS.
THEY WEREN’T ALIVE TO SEE WHAT
MADE TIGER WOODS TIGUE, TIGER WO
THEY WERE THERE.
22 YEARS LATER, AFTER THE
EMOTIONAL EMBRACE WITH HIS DAD,
TO HAVE HIS KIDS THERE, TO BE
ABLE TO DO THAT AFTER THAT
UNBELIEVABLE WIN IN THE 2019
MASTERS, THAT WAS -- IF THAT WAS
THE LAST ONE, THAT WAS A HECK OF
A LAST ONE.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT --
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE THINKING
ABOUT TIGER WOODS THE GOLFER,
BUT I THINK WHAT IT SPOKE TO ALL
OF US WAS, THERE’S TIGER WOODS
THE MAN, TIGER WOODS THE DAD.
AT FIRST WHEN YOU WATCHED HIM,
PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WILL HE PLAY
GOLF AGAIN?
THERE WAS THE BASIC QUESTION OF,
WILL HE WALK AGAIN, RUN AGAIN?
WILL HE BE ABLE TO DO THE BASIC
THINGS?
YOU KNOW HIS PSYCHE.
WHERE DO YOU THINK HE MIGHT BE
AT THIS MOMENT?
>> HODA, I HAVE A LIST PRINTED
OUT HERE OF ALL TIGER’S
SURGERIES.
I MEAN, IT IS AS LONG AS ANY
ATHLETE THAT WE SEE COMPETE.
HE’S BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH
PHYSICALLY.
KNEE, FIVE BACK PROCEDURES, LAST
ONE IN DECEMBER.
HE WAS TRYING AS BEST HE COULD
TO HOPE HE COULD PLAY IN THE
MASTERS IN APRIL AFTER THIS BACK
PROCEDURE.
IT WASN’T SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS
TRENDING THAT WAY WHEN WE HEARD
HIM ON SUNDAY.
WITH TIGER, YOU NEVER COUNT
ANYTHING OUT.
THIS LOOKS LIKE REALLY LONG
ODDS.
WE’LL HEAR AS THE DAYS GO ON AND
WE GET MORE DETAILS.
THAT’S NOT FOR THE MOMENT.
THE PERSON, HIS REHAB SCHEDULE,
HIS DRIVE TO BE GREAT IS ONE OF
A KIND.
IF ANYBODY COULD DO ANYTHING
CLOSE TO GETTING BACK, IT’S
TIGER.
>> THERE’S TIGER THE PERSON,
MIKE, AND QUICKLY, THERE IS
TIGER THE COMPETITOR.
AS THE WEEKS AND MONTHS GO BY,
YOU THINK OF KEVIN DURANT, WHO
HAD THE ACHILLES INJURY,
AVERAGING WELCOME 30 IN
BROOKLYN.
ALEX SMITH, COMBACKEBACK PLAYER
THE NFL.
DAK IS OUT THERE.
DO YOU THINK HE’LL BE CHAMPING
AT THE BIT WITH A BIOTIC LEG TO
GET BACK OUT?
>> OF COURSE, THAT’S TIGER.
THAT’S WHAT’S DRIVEN HIM.
THAT’S WHY HE IS AS GOOD A
GOLFER AS ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN
IN THE WORLD.
YOU CAN HAVE THE ARGUMENT OF
JACK NICKLAUS AND TIGER FROM
HERE TO THE END OF TIME, BUT THE
DRIVE IS WHAT WAS THE
DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR FOR
TIGER.
WHATEVER THE MAX IS AFTER THESE
INJURIES, HE’S GOING TO FIND IT.
>> AGREED.
>> ALL THAT COMPETITIVE SPIRIT,
HE’LL NEED IT JUST FOR REHAB, TO
GET THROUGH THE FIRST MOMENTS,
THOSE FIRST STEPS.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> MIKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> FOR SURE, THANKS.
>> WE LOVE HEARING YOU TALK
ABOUT GOLF.
IN A LOT OF WAYS, FOR SUPER FANS
LIKE YOU ARE OF TIGER, IF YOU
WANTED A FAIRY TALE ENDING, YOU
HAD IT IN 2019 WITH THE MASTERS.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE JUST HOPING
THAT MAYBE HE HAS ONE MORE
MIRACLE IN HIM.
>> I CAN SEE HIM NOW.
GREW UP TOGETHER PLAYING GOLF,
RIGHT AROUND THERE WHERE THE
ACCIDENT WAS.
I CAN SEE HIS FACE NOW WITH, YOU
KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY
AGAIN?
HE WOULD JUST WINK AT YA.
THAT’S WHO HE IS.
THAT’S WHAT HE KNOWS.
>> WOW.
>> JIM NANCE ASKED HIM SUNDAY,
THE MASTERS, HE SAYS, SIX WEEKS
FROM TODAY.
WHAT WAS TIGER’S ANSWERS?