Tiger Woods en route to film lesson with NFL stars when car crashed

close

Video

Tiger Woods en route to film lesson with NFL stars when car crashed

'Special Report' anchor Bret Baier details the golfer's scheduled engagements prior to frightening wreck

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto" February 23, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR:  All right, Martha, thank you very much.

Here's what we know right now. Tiger Woods is in the hospital. He's been in
the hospital for the better part of four-and-a-half-hours after a serious
rollover crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, this according to the Los Angeles
Sheriff's Department.

We are going to be hearing more from that department very shortly. We are
told that Woods was the sole occupant in this SUV identified it as a
Genesis GV80. It was traveling north on Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse
Road, when he crashed just after 7:00 a.m. local time, 10:00 a.m. Eastern
time.

The vehicle, as you can see, sustained a great deal of damage. Woods had to
be taken out through the front windshield. No jaws of life were used. There
was some confusion about that. But we just heard again that no jaws of life
used. He was immediately taken to the hospital, where surgery is ongoing.

Again, depending on the reports right now, we know, at the very least, he's
got multiple leg injuries, that he's currently in surgery, and his manager
says: "We thank you for respecting his privacy and support."

This has gotten, obviously, a great deal of international attention here,
given who we are talking about. Again, I should stress that Woods was the
sole occupant in this vehicle. We just heard from a police official talking
to our own Martha MacCallum that a witness to this event, a neighbor, had
alerted police to this accident, not knowing at the time that it involved
Tiger Woods himself.

Trace Gallagher has been following all of his very closely, knows the area
well.

Trace, what can you tell us?

Trace Gallagher, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Well, we -- that car, by the way,
we can start with that, Neil.

This Genesis SUV was on loan from the Riviera Country Club, where Tiger
appeared at the golf tournament this weekend. He did not play at the golf
tournament because he's recovering from a recent back surgery.

Breaking right now, Neil, The L.A. Times reporting that police sources are
telling them that Tiger Woods was driving this car northbound on Hawthorne
Boulevard coming out of Rancho Palos Verdes going toward the Rolling Hill
Estates and apparently was at a high rate of speed, their sources saying
that Tiger Woods lost control of the vehicle before he got to that median.

We have seen many times the pictures of the median where the sign, the
Rolling Hills Estate sign, was actually taken out, and that investigators
saying the car rolled a few times before ending up where you see it right
there now.

Remember, there's a picture about maybe 50 yards down the road of the
license plate. The license plate fell off. There is fluid from the car all
over the road, an indicator that, when he hit that median, that, in fact,
it did severe damage to the undercarriage of the vehicle, and then it
rolled.

And very luckily he did not hit some of these nearby telephone poles,
though, he did as you can see, take out several small trees. There's been
some clarification, Neil. You pointed to it. There was no jaws of life
system used to pull Tiger Woods outside of the car.

In fact, we're being told by the fire department, which has just released a
statement -- quoting here -- "Because of the situation" -- it appears Tiger
Woods, they're saying, was conscious -- quoting -- "Because of the
situation and the way that you found the vehicle, he wasn't able to open
the door," meaning Tiger, "and come out."

This is from the L.A. County Fire Department spokesman Henry Narvaez, who
says -- quote -- "We extricated him. We helped assist him out of the
vehicle. In other words, Tiger couldn't get out on his own. So they went in
and they actually pulled him out from the windshield and that he was
conscious during this time.

We do not know if he was taken by stretcher to the ambulance. We do believe
he was taken to UCLA Harbor Medical Center, where he was undergoing surgery
for leg wounds.

Now, Neil, it's fairly unclear right now as to his condition. But sources
are also telling The Times that he is listed right now in serious
condition. And we do not know if, in fact, the surgery has yet been
completed. We do know that Tiger Woods was kind of playing around, he was
chipping and putting and playing golf with the basketball player Dwyane
Wade, the actor/comedian David Spade.

Both of them tweeted in the past 24 hours talking about how much fun they
had, what good spirits Tiger was in, and his whole mental state, saying it
was quite good, and they joked around and had a great time out with Tiger
Woods.

If you lifted this shot out, Neil, and you looked just over the hill,
because there's been some good confusion as to where he was going, just
over the hill is the Palos Verdes Country Club. It's a beautiful golf
course. And it's unclear if that's where he was going, but just to kind of
give you some context about where this happened in relation to the Palos
Verdes Country Club, it literally, as you jump out from the helicopter
shot, it's just over the hill.

And to give you more context of the area, it's about five or six miles from
where I live, and you come down this road, Hawthorne Boulevard, and you're
coming down a hill, and you first make this gradual right-hand turn, and
then you make this left-hand turn back.

At a high rate of speed, it's dangerous. In that time frame, 7:00 in the
morning, you have also got cars from the neighboring subdivisions that are
kind of moving on to the road there, Neil. Again, they're saying this was a
single car crash, no other cars involved.

But there's reporting now that another car witnessed, stopped, trying to
either call in or help Tiger, and that he was actually struck in a minor
car accident by another car coming down the hill. So, it gives you an idea
that, when you come around some of these corners, they're a little bit
blind, they're a little bit steep.

And when we say Tiger was at a high rate of speed, that kind of happens
naturally. You're coming down these hills, and it tends to be -- that's a
great picture right there. And if you look to the right, you would see the
Rolling Hill -- I mean, the Palos Verdes Country Club.

But that gives you an idea. You go up on that hill, and you're up. I mean,
the spectacular views you see from Catalina Island all the way up to Malibu
and further north, it gives you an idea of how high that area is, all the
cliffs on the oceanside. He was coming away from the cliffs and then going
north.

There's the Palos Verdes Golf Club that we talked about, Neil, Tiger coming
down that road at a high rate of speed, making that right-hand turn, and
then that left-hand turn. And, apparently, right before he got to that
median, he lost control, he hit the sign, and then he rolled at least a
couple of times, ended up on the embankment and was conscious.

And when the fire department got there, they said he couldn't get out on
his own. So they helped him get out. And they brought him to the hospital.
Breaking news as it comes in -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  Do we know, Trace, where he was going? I know he was at a golf
event. Do you know where he was headed from, from that event?

GALLAGHER:  It's unclear.

But you can see these pictures as they kind of zoom out here. They keep
showing the golf clubs. Don't know if that's an indication he was going to
another golf club. He was in town a couple of days because he was shooting
a photo shoot and some interviews with Golf magazine, played golf, as I
said -- not played golf, but was along as David Spade and Dwyane Wade
played some golf. They had a great time.

He wasn't playing, Neil, because he just had back surgery. He was very much
hoping that in the first week of April at the Masters that he might be able
to kind of get ready. His back was feeling good, and he might be able to
get ready. A lot of experts say probably a long shot. And that's why he was
kind of out here, more promotional than actually playing.

As for where he was going this morning, we don't know. But Tiger Woods
knows this area, Neil. He's been out here many, many times. He grew up in
Orange County, which is 15 miles to the south, grew up in Orange County.

He spent a great deal of time playing all these golf courses as a junior in
Southern California. So he knows the area. He knows the roads. He knows a
lot about this part of Southern California. And, look, you talk about a
high rate of speed coming down the hill, it happens to everybody.

When you're coming off these hills, and you're coming down, and you have
these winding roads, and it tends to be -- it's -- it can be a bit of a
pickle if you're not watching your speed coming down, Neil.

CAVUTO:  Trace, thank you very much, my friend. Any other updates, please
pass them along.

Trace following this development, knows it well, lives only a few miles
from the affected area.

We should say that all we know about Tiger Woods' condition is, it's been
described as moderate to critical. He's at Harbor UCLA Medical Center.

That's where you will find our Matt Finn.

Matt, what can you tell us?

MATT FINN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Neil, right now, obviously, there is a
growing media here and people driving by.

But, of course, we are in the middle of this pandemic. So there is also
very heavy security here. And there are also a lot of people spaced out,
standing outside of this hospital in masks.

A short while ago, a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
told me that these are visitors and family who are standing outside of this
hospital in masks, abiding by all the precautions at a health care
facility.

This hospital itself is not far from the location of the incident that
Trace has been reporting on. If you look at a map, it's perhaps one of the
closest hospitals or health care facilities that emergency officials and
health care officials could have got Tiger Woods to.

Golf magazine reporting that this is where Tiger Woods was brought. We
don't have that confirmed right now on site. But there is a growing sense
of awareness of who might be inside of this hospital, as there always is
when a celebrity or a high-profile name is brought to a hospital -- Neil. 

CAVUTO:  Do you know -- I mean, obviously, the Sheriff's Department is
expected to give an update, maybe a full-blown presser, on this.

But with the multiple leg fractures possible, that they have hinted of any
other issues that have come up, but anything like that?

FINN:  No, you know, Neil, I don't have anything on Tiger Woods' condition
right now.

And, of course, the officials that we spoke to this hospital are not even
confirming that he's here, of course, abiding by all the regular HIPAA
requirements.

CAVUTO:  All right, thank you, my friend very, very much.

I want to go to Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider right now, California Pacific
Medical Center internal medicine physician.

Doctor, thank you for taking the time. Obviously, they want to check a lot
when they have got a patient coming in who is in a serious accident like
this. You're there, then, Doctor, what do you look for?

DR. SHOSHANA UNGERLEIDER, CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER:  Well, Neil,
that's a great question.

Based on the images, this appears to be a very, very serious accident. I,
myself, am an internal medicine physician. So I'm often not taking care of
traumas. But, typically, what happens when someone is brought in from an
accident like this is, they enter through the emergency department, they're
thoroughly evaluated by the emergency department team. Potentially, trauma
surgeons are also on staff.

And, basically, you're sort of assessing the extent of the damage, looking
at things like whether the person is conscious, their vital signs, are they
able to breathe on their own, and then determining immediately whether or
not this person, of course, needs something like intubation to help them --
a tube down the windpipe to help them breathe.

It's not clear at all exactly what happened in Mr. Woods' case. And then
also evaluating the extent of the injuries and whether someone needs urgent
or emergent, in this case, surgery, which it sounds as though Mr. Woods is
still in surgery. And, of course, we're all hoping for the best and sending
Mr. Woods and his family are our thoughts.

CAVUTO:  Yes, obviously. Doctor, thank you for that.

As someone who looks at other risks that are less obvious, like internal
bleeding and all of that sort of thing, and you look very, very carefully
for that, given the fact that the vehicle he was in, this Genesis SUV, and
it's -- it was tumbling a number of times before it came to a stop, and he
was extricated a little later, that involves, clearly, a lot of broken
bones, but a lot of other potential problems.

What are you ascertaining or trying to sort of ascertain? Some might be
obvious, like broken bones, others a little less so.

UNGERLEIDER:  Yes, well, you're sort of looking emergently, right, at the
whole picture, right? So, it does tell you a little bit as to whether or
not the person is awake, responsive, breathing on their own.

That sort of tells you sort of what's going on from a neurologic
perspective. And then, from there, you're evaluating very quickly, based on
laboratory evidence and imaging, if that's available, how to best proceed.

What we do know is that Mr. Woods is 45 years old, has had multiple
injuries and back surgeries in his long sports career.

CAVUTO:  Right.

UNGERLEIDER:  But my understanding is that he's otherwise healthy. And so,
again, hoping the surgery goes well, he has a swift recovery, we have no
reason to think that he would be high risk from a surgical perspective for
other reasons.

CAVUTO:  Doctor, thank you so much. Hopefully, everything works out here.

And I had forgotten, as you said, about the back surgery that he had and
how vulnerable that was and why had virtually shelved him from playing in
the Masters again this year, or could have.

Again, for those of you just joining us right now, Tiger Woods had been in
California for a video shoot, attended the PGA Tour's Genesis International
over the weekend, this, of course, less than a year after undergoing back
surgery.

He's had these problems back and forth for a number of years. Right now, it
looked like it was on the mend, certainly in 2019, when he won the Masters,
bedeviling him again. Hopefully, it's not been complicated by this, but, at
the very least, it has been extended by this.

Bill Melugin joins us right now of KTTV investigative reporter.

Bill, thank you for taking the time. What can you tell us?

BILL MELUGIN, KTTV INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER:  Hi, Neil.

Just got off the phone with a Sheriff's Department store who told me that
Tiger Woods was conscious and was talking to deputies when they got on
scene of that crash. So, that's obviously a good sign.

The same source also told me that, as it stands right now with their
investigation, there is nothing -- quote -- "salacious" that appears to
have happened with this crash. I know there's a lot of online speculation,
given his history, that there was potentially drinking involved or anything
like that.

But the Sheriff's Department is pumping the brakes on that, telling me
that, as it stands right now, this is just an investigation for a really
bad crash, a rollover, went off an embankment, rolled over.

And the extent of the injuries appears to -- what we have been told is his
legs. Obviously, his agent put that statement out, but that he was
conscious and was talking to deputies when they first got on scene. So
that's obviously great news to hear that.

So, obviously, look, there's going to be toxicology results that are going
to come back in the future. That remains to be seen there, but as it stands
right now with the investigation, nothing salacious, according to my
source.

CAVUTO:  And we should stress that, I'm glad you did, because that's always
out there. In 2017, as you know, he was arrested on suspicion of driving
under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Florida, after he was seen
passed out in his car back in 2009. He pled guilty to reckless driving.

So, this sort of thing has popped up in the past. Doesn't look like it has
anything to do here. I only put that in context, as you did, Bill.

But do we know -- if he was talking, all of that is very positive. They
didn't have to use the jaws of life to extricate him, I think they said,
from the windshield. But how much help did he need? I mean, to hear that he
was conversing with them, that's all very promising. But some of these
other reports that I can't validate are talking about injuries that go
beyond broken bones.

Do you know anything about that?
  
MELUGIN:  So, right now, it appears there's a little bit of a discrepancy
between the L.A. County Fire Department and the Sheriff's Department.

Initially, it was that the jaws of life were used. Now it sounds like they
potentially weren't used. It's unclear exactly how much help he needed. But
if he was conscious and talking, great news. Obviously, his agent put out
the statement that he has multiple leg injuries.

So, I mean, just from my personal perspective, that would lead me to
believe that he obviously wasn't going to be able to walk away on his own.
So I'm assuming he had to be helped onto a stretcher and into an ambulance.

And that what I'm told is, he's currently at UCLA Harbor Medical Center
right now. We have a crew there right now.

CAVUTO:  Right.

MELUGIN:  Yes, media is gathering there, obviously big national story.

So, it's unclear exactly how much help he needed. But it's obviously great
news to hear that he that he was conscious and was talking, especially when
you take a look at those images from the helicopter. That's not a small --
that's not a small crash right there. That's off an embankment and what
looks like multiple rolls.

And, hopefully, he had his seat belt on. It doesn't need to be said how
violent of a crash that would be.

CAVUTO:  Yes, I'm assuming that was indeed the case.

Bill, you know this area far better than -- certainly than I do. And if
you're speeding through here, which is easy to do, it's a devil of a place
to be doing that.

The fact that it looks like he was alone, he might have tried to avoid
something on the road, or was simply going too fast, do we know anything
that might have started this, beyond just maybe driving a little too
quickly?

MELUGIN:  So, this is going to be obviously total speculation, but that
area does have a lot of bicyclists.

And it is more of a wildland area, where there could be coyotes, small
animals that run across the road. Obviously, there's no information on any
of that yet. That's just the possibility. There's going to be a lot of --
there's going to be a lengthy investigation to figure out what happened
here.

But you go online, there's a lot of hypothetical speculation about what
could have happened, given his past. And that's why, when I talk to my
source in the department, they're saying -- they're kind of pumping the
brakes, saying, look, right now, nothing's salacious. This is just a really
bad crash.

And, again, that area does have a lot of bicyclists. Early morning crash,
who knows? Did he swerve to avoid something? Was he speeding? A lot of
questions still out there, and we're just going to have to wait for them to
be answered.

And -- oh, and I do want to mention...

CAVUTO:  All right, Bill, thank -- go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

MELUGIN:  The sheriff is -- the sheriff is going to have a press conference
at 3:00 p.m. Pacific time at the Lomita Sheriff's Station, so in about an
hour-and-a-half. So we should get more of our questions answered then.

CAVUTO:  OK. We look forward to that.

Bill, thank you very, very much.

Should let you know that the PGA Tour has released a statement shortly
after hearing of this news.

And I'm quoting here: "We have been made aware of Tiger Woods' car accident
today. We're awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On
behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will
have the full support as he recovers."

Abby Hornacek with us right now, FOX Nation host, host of "Getting
Schooled" podcast, much, much more, FOX News Radio.

Abby, what can you tell us? What have you heard?

ABBY HORNACEK, FOX NATION HOST:  Well, Neil, so far, you have had some
excellent reporting on this.

Like everyone mentioned, this story still is unfolding. One thing that I do
you want to mention, following up on Bill's report from KTTV, about 40
minutes ago, they were reporting, just based off technology that they have
used, that, from the moment that Tiger might have hit something or lost
control of the vehicle to where the car ended up was about 500 feet.

So, granted, that's given with the technology used, it could be some error,
but just to give context on how serious this car crash could have been.

CAVUTO:  Do we know -- I know this whole event was a golf event in the big
picture here.

We do know that he was wrestling with these back issues that were likely
going to take him out of this year's Masters tournament that he won back in
2019. Do we know anything else about this or, for that matter, as I have
been raising with other guests, Abby, where he was going?

HORNACEK:  So far, it's -- no one really knows exactly where he was going.

But, like you mentioned, he was playing a tournament. And I think the most
important thing out of all that knowledge to note is that he was trying to
make this comeback after yet another back surgery. He's had, I think, five
back surgeries that we know of, and I'm sure other surgeries and injuries
along the way.

And right now, I think all we can do is focus on him recovering and getting
better. And I know everyone wants to go exactly to, all right, is he going
to return to the game of golf? Because, especially, right now, with all of
our country, what we're going through, we turn to sports, we turn to these
heroes that we have seen like Kobe Bryant.

And I think we want something to cheer for. Right now, we're definitely
cheering for Tiger Woods and his recovery. And if we were going to look at
the course of his career, he's really been a comeback player. You look back
at 2008, and he won his last Masters. And then he had an 11-year drought.

Then, in 2019, he won at Augusta, and it was just this huge moment. He's
been through so many ups and downs in his life. He's been through scandals,
he's been through injuries, but he's come back stronger. And he's also been
through a lot of ups and downs in his career. So, he's resilient.

His dad was a Green Beret. And we know that he's had some military training
in that sense. So we hope that he can -- he can use that to get better,
Neil. And our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.

CAVUTO:  You know, Abby, I'm so glad you said that. We're so -- will go
back to playing golf? How about just getting through this, living another
day to enjoy himself and his kids and what have you? You have got the
priorities right.

We are hearing, Abby, that a number of other players, including fellow tour
star Justin Thomas, have been issuing statements on his behalf, on Tiger
Woods' behalf.

When asked about the accident earlier today, he said: "I'm sick to my
stomach. It hurts to see one of your closest friends get in an accident. I
just hope he's all right. I'm just worried for his kids. I'm sure they are
struggling."

The golf community, I think you have reported in the past, Abby, is a very
close-knit one. It is a grueling schedule for those who are at its
uppermost tier. Tiger Woods certainly has been in that spot for decades.

So, there's a camaraderie and an understanding, competitive as they are
with each other, to feel for each other, look out for each other. What have
you heard from the golf world and those who now are shocked about this
latest...

HORNACEK:  Yes.

CAVUTO:  ... this tragedy for Tiger Woods, who's certainly known his share?

HORNACEK:  Right.

Well, I think, just like any sports community, like you said, it is --
everyone is -- they are friends, I should say. And I think people are
starting to tweet. They don't want to tweet too soon, because they don't
know the amount of details. And I'm sure other athletes are crafting their
responses as we speak, since this did just happen this morning.

But, again, if we could learn anything from the sports community, we can
really come together as one. And just because you're opponents doesn't mean
you're not friends off the court, off the field, off the golf course.

And, sometimes, when you're an opponent and you're challenging another
person, that opponent then gains so much more respect for you. And I think
Tiger Woods was that way for so many people. And he's been in the game for
so long, he's also a role model.

So, I think we're going to see more people tweeting out, Neil, and really
thinking about Tiger during this time.

CAVUTO:  Thank you, Abby, very, very much and for prioritizing what's
important in these sort of events here.

Again, for those of you just joining us here and wonder what all the
commotion and fuss is, Tiger Woods has been involved in a very serious auto
accident involving an SUV. He was riding it in California. The California
Sheriff's Department described it as a single vehicle rollover traffic
collision.

Now, this is coming from the department's Twitter account, saying that his
vehicle -- that is, Tiger Woods' Genesis vehicle -- suffered major damage
and the accident. Took place around 7:12 a.m. Western time, 10:12 a.m.
Eastern time. He was the only occupant in the car. There had been early
reports that he was extricated from the car by the jaws of life.

Turns out that he -- they were able to get him out of there through the
front windshield, but that he had a number of broken bones. He is still in
surgery at the HARBOR UCLA Medical Center. That is all we know for the time
being.

Also another footnote here that we're learning from the Sheriff's
Department and others, as well as a reporter who has been sort of gleaning
developments on the scene, that he was conscious and talking to authorities
as he was being taken out of that vehicle.

Bret Baier has some more news for us to share, Bret, of course, well-versed
in golf and a good golfer in his own right, but maybe can share a little
bit of what he's hearing -- Bret.

Bret Baier, FOX NEWS ANCHOR:  Yes, Neil, good afternoon.

First of all, the news from the Sheriff's Department that they believe the
injuries are non-life-threatening is the best news we have heard over the
past couple of hours. Waiting for more from the hospital.

But I have some background, based on talking to people who were aware of
what was happening this morning there. Tiger had this contract with
Discovery Network to do a number of different kind of behind-the-scenes
videos and also lessons with stars.

That's why you saw him on social media with David Spade and Dwyane Wade, he
did those Monday. This morning, he was scheduled to do another on-camera
teaching lesson with Drew Brees, NFL quarterback, and Justin Herbert from
the NFL at Rolling Hills Country Club, which is not far from this accident
scene.

Told by people on the ground that he was waiting on his car on the valet,
and he was running late. And he had to be there at 8:00 a.m., I guess, to
start the crew. His crew and handler went ahead with the television crew to
get ready for what was going to be the filming of this lesson.

And then this -- he didn't show up for an hour, two hours, and then they
found out about this accident. Now, extrapolating, is he running late? Is
he speeding? Is he -- does he take the curve too hard? We don't know any of
that. That's all speculation.

But we do know that he wasn't playing golf. He had a long interview with
Jim Nantz on CBS at the tournament, in which he was a sponsor. And he was
watching. He talked about his foundation, but also his health and kind of
laughed about it.

The question Jim Nantz asked was about whether he was going to get back in
time for the Masters. He had just finished his fifth back surgery. And he
was trying to, but the -- it seemed from his answers that it seemed like a
long shot.

And I'm told from people down there that he was hurting after a couple of
days of standing up after that back surgery, and -- but was still going to
this next event for Discovery Network to do these playing lessons, if you
will, sitting in the cart, but giving lessons to Drew Brees and Justin
Herbert.

And it never happened. You see the crash right there. And, again, we're
awaiting word from the hospital about his status, a press conference
expected 6:00 p.m. Eastern time.

CAVUTO:  And we forget, Bret, to your point, he's much bigger than the game
of golf, and doesn't necessarily depend on golf for his earnings.

And all of these events and outside golf events are what has propelled his
career and made him one of the richest stars in any medium on the planet.

I'm just wondering how hectic his schedule was, though, for these various
commitments, because this is but one, right?

BAIER:  Right.

I mean, he has a lot of different sponsors, a lot of different events. This
Discovery Network contract was just the on-camera kind of fun behind-the-
scenes things, but it was still an obligation and something that he was
doing.

You forget how big Tiger Woods is globally, I mean, as a name. He's won 82
tournaments. He's tied with Sam Snead for the most tournaments ever won the
PGA Tour. One more, and he's the solo leader in that category. He's won 15
Majors. Jack Nicklaus has 18 Majors.

But there's a thought, after Tiger Woods won the Masters in 2019, that
maybe, just maybe, he's going to keep going. Obviously, we have to see what
happens after this surgery. But he's bigger than even the game of golf.
He's a worldwide sports phenomenon. And that's why there's so much
attention of this.

That's why there's so much thoughts and prayers coming from every corner,
including the former president of the United States.

CAVUTO:  Yes, that's true. The whole world is watching this, gets undue
attention, bigger than his own sport. Much has been said of Muhammad Ali,
much bigger certainly than boxing, and Kobe Bryant, of course, much bigger
than basketball.

There are a few who -- half-a-handful could fill that definition.

Bret Baier, thank you very, very much, my friend.

I want to go to Jim Gray right now, sportscaster, FOX News contributor,
bestselling author.

And, Jim, it's always good to have you, I'm sorry under these
circumstances, my friend.

But, as Bret pointed out, I mean, just his accolades and winnings and
accomplishments in golf alone are the stuff of records. And I'm -- everyone
is wondering, will he get back to golf? Obviously, I think you had
mentioned this earlier too.

You just want him to get back and out of that hospital. Your own thoughts
about this crazy day?

JIM GRAY, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR:  Well, it is crazy.
 
And, obviously, all of us saw what happened to Kobe Bryant out here just a
little over a year ago. And so your mind tends to go to the worst, for
whatever the reason. And, thankfully, that's not the case, that it's not
life-threatening.

I do want to read you a text that I just got from somebody who was in the
know. I won't identify them, but he's at Harbor UCLA. It's the county
trauma center. And they handle a lot of bad trauma, and that's why he was
taken there.

He is in excellent hands, I am told. As soon as he is able to be
transferred, they will try and get him to Reagan UCLA or to Cedars. I then
followed up and asked this person, who would know the condition of his legs
and just how bad it was. And he says, at this point, he doesn't know.

So, obviously, being near a trauma center, UCLA -- UCLA is the finest
hospital out here. Reagan UCLA just up the road in Westwood is considered
to be one of the top hospitals in the entire country. So, he is in terrific
hands right now.

But when you speak from a sports perspective, Neil, this guy, to most in
golf, he is the GOAT. He doesn't have Jack Nicklaus' major record. But he's
tied for the most wins in the history of the PGA Tour with 82. He has 15
major championships. He has electrified the golf world since coming on the
scene and winning that Masters at a very young age. He won three amateurs.

We have known this young man virtually his entire life, since he was
introduced to us on "The Mike Douglas Show" as just a toddler, all the way
up through those amateurs, and now these 15 majors and 82 championships.

So, to many, he has surpassed the great Jack Nicklaus in terms of being the
golfing GOAT. I guess it is up for debate in those circles, and you're
going to get a subjective answer and a criteria that can never really be
established.

But when you run through the names of those who are great, Tiger Woods is
right up there with Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, and those
likes, because that is what he has meant to the sport. And he has taken
this to a whole new level, Neil. The most popular golfer in the history of
golf was Arnold Palmer, Arnie's Army.

And what Tiger Woods has done in terms of his popularity, and in terms of
what he was able to do to climb up out of that valley, after all of the
surgeries, to not win a major from 2008 all the way up until 2019, to go
through the personal trauma and scandal and the DUI, and to come out of
that, and to have that happen at Augusta National, after having come back -
- and he also won the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake just a few short
months before that.

This is the greatest individual comeback that I have ever witnessed in all
of sports. And I have been covering sports for almost 45 years now. And you
might say it's the greatest individual comeback ever. Sports historians
will tell you that. Probably the best team sport comeback was the Super
Bowl, the 28-3 victory, that they were able to overcome, the New England
Patriots, against the Atlanta Falcons.

But in terms of individuals, Tiger Woods has set the standard. And he has
set the standard going all the way back to those three amateurs. And he has
been just a constant in our lives on the golfing scene for more than a
quarter of a century.

So, the impact of this is just tremendous. And it's ironic, as Bill Hemmer,
pointed out about an hour ago, the comparison to Ben Hogan in the car crash
that he suffered, and Tiger Woods.

CAVUTO:  Yes.

GRAY:  Hogan's Alley is known as Riviera Country Club. Well, that's where
the Tiger Woods Invitational Now is. And that's why Tiger was out here, his
own tournament, the Genesis L.A. Open.

And he wasn't able to participate. But he handed the trophy to Homa, who
won the tournament. And the irony of this, that, at Hogan's Alley, and he
had this horrible accident that Bill detailed, which is a legendary thing,
and to come back from that, and now to have Tiger in a terrible car crash,
having just left Riviera a couple of days ago, there's a whole lot of
parallels there that are, unfortunately, very frightening and terrifically
sad.

But let's hope for the same outcome that Ben Hogan had, that Tiger is able
to lead a full and successful life. And, hopefully, the golfing would be
the icing on the cake.

CAVUTO:  Yes, that would be the icing on the cake.

And to your point with that comeback at the Masters, it later so mesmerized
the nation later that year. President Trump at the time had awarded him the
Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House, I think, in 2019 later
this year.

Former President Trump's tweeting out: "Get well soon, Tiger. You are a
true champion" -- a statement coming from Jason Miller, actually, speaking
on behalf of the president.

You mentioned at the outset there -- and I agree with you, Jim -- this --
he had taken it to a new level. We talk about Arnie's Army, about Arnold
Palmer. But the Tiger army was a bigger army, a more diverse army. It's
opened up golf to a whole new, not only generation, but a generation of
minority kids and all sorts of kids, backgrounds and colors.

And he changed, quite literally, the complexion of golf. And we forget, at
the time, how big a deal that was and remains, as a testament to him even
now, right?

GRAY:  Absolutely.

He has opened the doors for so many now to follow him. And I remember being
there at Augusta National when he won in 1997. And I was there with my dad.
And we were on the 18th tower doing the radio broadcast on Westwood One.

And if you looked back to the clubhouse and down on the grounds, you could
see all of the African-Americans, many of them who had worked there, work
there for years. And they were not allowed to play. Many of them had been
there as employees for a long time. But they hadn't seen black people able
to play at that club.

And then they admitted black members. And now to see Tiger Woods win, win
the Masters, there was terrific joy. And there were also a lot of tears.
And it was just -- it was just a stunning, amazing scene and
accomplishment, and what he has been able to do to transcend that, and to
bring all of the folks who had not been in the game now into this game.

It had been an exclusive club, an exclusive place. And now he was putting
his arm around all of these folks who now became welcome into the game. And
you see it in all corners of the world now. And golf is a worldwide sport.
And what Tiger did for the popularity of the sport, it's really -- it's
unmatched and unparalleled.

And to see what he has been able to achieve through his foundation, and the
education of all of these kids across the country and across the world, and
his father had big grandiose ideas about who Tiger would become, making
comparisons to Gandhi and so forth.

But Tiger really has been able to leave an impact, where he has left a
footprint that has changed the world. And he's done that through his golf.
And we have seen him at glorious times, and we have seen him at the bottom
of the valley.

And this time, when we saw him win, it was such a joyous occasion, Neil. It
was something that we hadn't seen in Tiger, and it was like this legend had
become a human, because, like I said, instead of being standoffish and
keeping everybody away and being tortured by this constant pursuit of
perfection, here now he was allowing everybody to be involved with him, and
to have that joy that he had.

And he brought everybody along. And when he got to the end of it, he was
hugging competitors. And he had now become a mentor to so many of these
guys, to Justin Thomas and to Rory McIlroy and to so many of the great
young golfers, and Jordan Spieth.

There was a time when Tiger Woods was just so competitive against these
guys that he might have been friendly, but it was at a huge, huge distance,
and they were not friendly rivals. They were rivals.

CAVUTO:  Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

GRAY:  And to have seen this entire change in not only the way that he
approached things, but to see the way that he was embraced by all of these
folks, he had long been admired and respected, but now everybody was just
so happy to see Tiger Woods back on top.

And now, obviously, our shift turns to, let's hope that the guy is able to
recover from these surgeries and lead a normal life and be able to be out
there with his kids and enjoy their activities.

CAVUTO:  One of the things I always find interesting, Jim -- and you have
reported this, and talking about great sports legends, is that they're
bigger than their sport.

And the proof of that came in his earnings over his career that dwarfed
whatever he made in golf, even in his heyday, when he was winning
tournaments left and right, to this day generating far more than most
athletes in their prime enjoying success on the field or on the fairway.
You pick your sport.

And this was an example of this. This was a Genesis event, the South Korean
carmaker. And I always wondered, was he -- his responsibilities and
commitments to all of these sponsors was overwhelming. I mean, just for the
normal person, taking aside the money involved and the prestige involved,
these are very demanding commitments, aren't they?

GRAY:  Well, they are. And it requires a lot of attention.

And it's not easy to be Tiger Woods, because, look, nobody can live up to
the demands of what the public wants. Everybody wants a selfie. Everybody
wants an autograph. Everybody would love to shake your hand and say hello.
And everybody just wants five seconds or five minutes.

Well, it's impossible to be able to meet up to that, because there's just
not enough time in the day. And there's just not an ability to meet
everybody in a personal fashion.

CAVUTO:  Right.

GRAY:  And so when you have as many commitments as he had -- and he lost
some of those sponsors after the scandal, but he had rebuilt that and was
still gaining more sponsors now, particularly after those two victories,
the one at East Lake and then the one at Augusta.

And so, yes, he is a worldwide, multi-multi -- he's a billionaire now. I
was going to say millionaire, but he's probably -- he is the first American
billionaire to have done it through his sport. There might have been a
Formula 1 guy or somebody overseas who had done it before him, but he was a
billionaire from his earnings and from his endorsements over here.

And you cover money. And that was -- that was almost impossible to achieve,
Neil. And he did it.

CAVUTO:  Yes. And think of those roots.

Jim Gray, thank you very, very much, great background information, just to
sense the total man, as you always do, Jim. I appreciate that.

By the way, we're learning a little bit more now about what was involved in
this accident.

Jonathan Hunt has a little bit more on that, what we can learn.

What are we hearing about what happened exactly, Jonathan?

Jonathan Hunt, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  ... reporting that police sources
are telling them the Woods' vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Now, those same law enforcement sources have said there is nothing, if you
like, salacious that they have found so far in terms of this terrible
accident. And that speaks to what you had mentioned before, the previous
DUI incident involving Tiger Woods, of course.

So, people's minds might go to that. But, at the moment, the indications
that we are getting from law enforcement is that they have not found
anything like that as part of this accident. But they are telling The L.A.
Times that Woods' car was driving at a high rate of speed on what is a
windy downhill part of the road that in Rancho Palos Verdes.

It's an area as well, I can tell you, Neil, where you can, with the with a
couple of lanes on either side, if there's not a lot of traffic around --
and there isn't these days in L.A. because of the COVID pandemic -- it can
be very tempting to, if you like, be a little heavy on your accelerator
pedal.

Now, we don't know that for sure. But that is what L.A. -- The L.A. Times
is reporting from its sources.

A little bit of background on what Tiger Woods was doing here in the L.A.
area as well, Neil. He was, as you had mentioned, at the Genesis
Invitational. That wrapped up on Saturday. Now, as we -- as far as we can
tell, piecing the timeline together here, he basically took the day off
Sunday and then was involved in this promotional shoot that started
yesterday, Monday.

In that, it was arranged by Golf Digest and the Discovery Channel. He was
giving lessons to celebrities. Yesterday, for instance, both the NBA great
Dwyane Wade and the actor/comedian David Spade put photos and video on
their social media.

And, in particular, Neil, I want to draw your attention -- and if we can
get it in, at some point, we will -- to the video that Dwyane Wade posted
on the Instagram. On it, you see Dwyane Wade doing a -- doing a selfie
video with Tiger Woods right behind him.

And Dwyane Wade is just saying it's great to have the GOAT here giving me
some lessons, Tiger sneaking up behind him, laughing, smiling. And, again,
that speaks to the mood of Tiger Woods that Jim Gray was speaking so
eloquently about, a guy whose life had changed, and seemed to be really
embracing the pure joys of life right now.

And, clearly, on that golf course, when you look at the Dwyane Wade video,
he was having a great time with his celebrity buddies yesterday. Now, he
was due to complete that shoot, as we understand it, today.

So, this is -- we're not a 100 percent certain of this as a fact right now,
Neil, but it would appear that he was heading from wherever he was staying
in the Rancho Palos Verdes area to the Rolling Hills Country Club, where he
was shooting that Golf Digest promotional shoot with celebrities.

And, as Bret Baier was reporting a little bit earlier, he was due to be
giving some lessons to a couple of NFL players later today. But, sadly,
obviously, he never showed up for that shoot -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  Jonathan Hunt, excellent reporting, my friend. I appreciate that.

I want to go to Eric Mitchell right now, sports agent, sports analyst.

One of the best lines I have loved about Eric is -- and maybe this,
unbeknownst to him, kind of typifies the attitude of a Tiger Woods, when he
says: "Stop watching your competition TV and start being on TV."

Eric, I always loved that. And I think that Tiger Woods lives that. He
breathes that. And that's the one thing we take away and why we're so
relieved that these are not hopefully life-threatening injuries, regardless
of whether he ever can resume a golf career, that he will be able,
hopefully, to resume life, an incredible life, at that.

You have been in contact with the Woods team. What can you tell us, Eric?

ERIC MITCHELL, SPORTS TALENT MANAGER:  You know, basically, they're just as
concerned.

I mean, we were all -- we all had that scare, right? Automatically, Neil,
we thought of just a short year ago losing the GOAT Kobe Bryant in Southern
California. It all hit us real fast.

And it was great to hear the stories. It is funny that TMZ is the one
breaking the story again. But they seem to be legends at this. But talking
to the team, everybody wants everybody to remain calm, know that Tiger is
alive. He is going through his surgery. I think that's a big thing that we
all need to remember. He is a father.

And we have all watched him play with his son, how cute that was to watch
at their last tournament, where we got to see Tiger the dad. And we saw
that after Kobe passed, how much him and his daughters mean something.

And as a father of four beautiful children, one of them, my son, has his
birthday today, we were just talking about Tiger. So, the team, we're just
caring about Tiger recovery. We don't care if he ever plays golf again.
He's a legend. And he's changed the sports world.

And I think everybody just sees that when you look around, even talking
about President Trump, President Obama. All these presidents, they all love
him. If you're a golfer, Tiger Woods is a guy, you're just like, I want to
be like Tiger. It's one of those guys you just love, no matter what sport
you follow, what sport you play.

You're seeing it come in around the world. Twitter is just alive with
thoughts and prayers going out to Tiger Woods. And his team loves it.
They're being very tight-knit as they go.

And as for the comments of people talking about him speeding, well, I
think, if you have ever been in California, those folks don't move slow at
all. Being a native California, we don't know how to go slow. So, Tiger
probably saw open space.

(LAUGHTER)       

MITCHELL:  And coming from -- I'm a Marine. Tiger was raised in a Green
Beret family. You don't show up late to things.

So, it doesn't matter how much money you make. You show up on time.

CAVUTO:  I hear you. There's so much we don't know.

But, Eric, I was wondering. I remember when you were talking to a lot of
professional athletes -- I don't know if Tiger was among them -- on those
who would play a role for social justice. And people forget that, in the
case of Tiger Woods, he wasn't loud about it. He was very quiet about it.

But it was important to him. Could you explain that part of it?

MITCHELL:  Absolutely.

Tiger -- I mean, Tiger -- he was -- how do I put this in the way that it
just -- it's just the way -- if you remember, when Tiger started, we all
watched him. You broke it down perfect, Neil, earlier, when you were
talking about how he was one of the first to come to Augusta.

And Bret Baier was talking about it also, right, changing the way we all
looked at sports. Tiger was this big divide in golf. We all saw a bunch of
all white golfers playing it everywhere. And Tiger came in and changed the
game. He was animated loud, almost John McEnroe of tennis you saw with
Tiger.

And he brought social justice to bring it aware. So, people did it with a
calm heart. We see so much in social justice is done loud or through
violence. And Tiger had a very calm demeanor about himself, where he was
able to go sit and play with the great Dwyane Wade, at the same time get
kudos and medals from President Trump that some people in the sports world,
of course, didn't think the world of.

CAVUTO:  Right. Right.

MITCHELL:  Tiger was this mediator of unity. And that's what you have to
love about Tiger and his comeback. We all relate to it, because none of us
are perfect.

And Tiger was the guy who we watched publicly fail. And Tiger came back.
And we showed that he's human. He's a father. He's a parent, like the rest
of us. He was able to come back, and zero fame, zero fortune changed how
Tiger Woods was. And that's what we love about Tiger. That's why we're
happy that he's alive and well.

And we hope he gets to the surgery and maybe he comes back to golfing. But
all I care about is that he gets to go home and be with his kids, because
that's the most important thing as a father. That's all that matters, is
going home. And Tiger has changed the way we all look at sports. Tiger is
this kind of mediary for everybody, right in the middle. Tiger is that guy.

CAVUTO:  Yes, and a subtle sense of humor, Eric.

I don't want to belabor this. And I'm probably screwing up the exact
wording of it. But when he was first getting big in the sport, and a lot of
people would ask him, well, how do you feel about your unique position and
what you offer, what is your contribution, clearly trying to say, all
right, you're an African-American, you made it big, and he was saying
something to the effect, well, my mark will be I won't dress as loud as the
other players.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO:  And if you think about it, he didn't.

It was a subtle look on the golf course. And others then started copying
his subtle look. Up until he came along, we were thinking of that -- almost
that "Caddyshack" look of players, where they would dress loudly.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO:  And he didn't do that.

I'm probably not getting service to the exact way he put it. But he had a
very dry, kind of almost Bob Newhart sense of humor approach about it that
people enjoyed, and at least certainly those like you who knew him very
well, huh?

MITCHELL:  He's a humble hero.

If you look at Tiger Woods, he's a humble hero that you just are gravitated
to. We all watched him wear that red shirt. You knew it was Sunday, and you
knew he was in the running when the red shirt was on.

CAVUTO:  Right. Right.

MITCHELL:  And so seeing his son and Tiger go out and play in this last
tournament, they were together and watching their mannerisms together, you
just look at them, and you're like, I remember when Tiger was young, and
you were just glued to the TV going, is he really pulling off some trick
shot at Augusta?

Seriously, Tiger. And he does it. And he brought people into the sport,
myself included, to enjoy watching golf because it wasn't boring. Tiger
made it fun. And he's animated. And he acts like we do on the golf course.
He says less words than most of us do that we're not supposed to say out
loud. Tiger can get away with that on TV.

(LAUGHTER)

MITCHELL:  But, I mean, he's human like the rest of us.

And watching him slice a shot, Neil, it just makes you go, OK, well, at
least even -- it's like watching Jordan miss a shot. It was the same thing.
So, he is a GOAT. He's the GOAT of almost all sports.

I guess we have to give T.B. 12, since he has seven rings now, we have to
call him the GOAT of all GOATs. But Tiger is definitely in that realm with
Jordan, with Tom Brady, with Wayne Gretzky. When it comes to golf, Tiger
has changed everything. And he's friends with all those names I just
mentioned.

CAVUTO:  Yes, right.

MITCHELL:  So he's a guy who's defined everything, politicians,
celebrities, everybody. He -- again, he's just Tiger Woods.

And he's like the comeback kid that you just -- you cheer for. He's the
underdog that's not really an underdog that you just want to see do good.

CAVUTO:  I love that, Eric.

And I -- just again, I love that. Stop watching your competition on TV.
Start being on TV. And I know what you mean. I'm not a golfer. I'm a
miniature golfer. And I always think that, Eric, when you get to that 18th
hole and you got to get through the clown's nose, what would Tiger do?

MITCHELL:  Right.

CAVUTO:  But thank you, my friend. Very good having you, Eric Mitchell.

MITCHELL:  No problem.

CAVUTO:  Eric doesn't relate to the miniature golf thing. Very few do. Very
few do.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO:  All right, what's the latest now we're getting on this? And we're
waiting, of course, to hear from the Sheriff's Department.

A little over an hour now, they're going to give us an update on what they
learned about the accident, maybe an update on Tiger Woods' condition.

Matt Finn right now is at the Harbor UCLA Medical Center, where we
understand, I think it's still the case, Matt, where Tiger is still
undergoing surgery, correct?

FINN:  Our understanding, it's being reported that Tiger Woods is being
treated inside of this hospital right now in Torrance, California, just
north of Long Beach, but, more importantly, not far from Rancho Palos
Verdes, where the accident was reported.

So, this likely was one of the nearest emergency rooms or hospitals that
officials and emergency crews could bring Tiger Woods for treatment.

And outside right now, there is a growing awareness in the air of what is
likely happening inside of this hospital right now, as there always is, or
usually is, when a celebrity or a high-profile name is brought to a
hospital. There's a growing sense of media here. There are people that are
stopping and pulling up.

And there is a strong sense of security. The L.A. County Sheriff's Office
is here, not only urging people to stay off the property if they don't need
to be, but, more importantly, they are also reminding people of the COVID-
19 precautions in place on this property right now.

We were just in the parking lot area, and there were lots of people in
masks, separated, very long distances. And security told us that was likely
family and friends who are waiting to get inside of this hospital, but they
can't go in and see this family.

So, two different scenarios happening here right now. Of course, we have
not -- we have not independently confirmed that Tiger is inside this
hospital. It is being reported by The L.A. Times and Golf magazine. A
growing sense of media here, and everyone kind of waiting to see what will
happen next -- Neil.

CAVUTO:  I would imagine that quite an army of crews and photographers have
gathered right around where you are, huh?

FINN:  Yes, not far from here.

We see local affiliates and likely some national crews here as well, but
it's relatively under control. There's not a frenzy, not a lot of chaos.

I think everyone is abiding by the rules right here. Right now, traffic is
running smoothly, Neil.

CAVUTO:  All right, that's good to hear.

Matt, thank you very much, my friend, Matt Finn.

Want to go to my buddy Jared Max, expert on all things sports, a walking
encyclopedia, I might point out.

Jared, you had a chance to digest a lot of this. And we're breathing a sigh
of relief that, hopefully, these are non-life-threatening injuries here,
but significant just the same. Your thoughts?

JARED MAX, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT:  Yes, Neil, right off the bat, I think,
in a whole career of highlights of Tiger Woods, whether it be his storming
onto the scene in the Masters in '97, or indiscretions in 2009, or the
comeback, or images of back surgeries, or what we see today, today's image
is one that gets put into that career highlight reel in our minds of seeing
this legend.

Right now, we sit back and we hold our breath and say, is Tiger Woods OK?
Is his health OK? Is he going to be fine to be a father for the rest of his
life for his kids? As a sports fan, the first question you have is, will
Tiger Woods ever be able to play golf again? Is this guy ever going to
compete again? Can Superman put on the cape and fly again?

The question was, will Tiger play in the Masters? That's coming up April 5.
We know now, obviously, that's not going to happen. But there's something
special about Tiger Woods that Jim Gray touched on, comparing him to people
like Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth.

Neil, growing up, as a young sports fan. I heard all the stories. Oh, this
one, you never got to see. You never saw DiMaggio. You never saw Gehrig or
Mantle or Jackie Robinson or Willie Mays or Bob -- you never saw Bill
Russell.

And you start to almost feel cheated as a kid, like, hey, well, I'm too
young to be here. And, all of a sudden, this Tiger Woods comes onto the
scene. And you know you're watching somebody who's going to become the best
ever and already is.

And whether or not Tiger Woods has the most Major wins -- he's still three
behind for the all-time lead. But he's tied Jack -- with Sam Snead for the
most all-time wins. You know how super he was.

And so any time, Neil, you hear somebody talking about the sports greats,
the ones you got to see, Tiger Woods is exactly this. And so everybody's
going to sit and hold their breath and wait to see, can Superman do it
again?

And we will think about other sports modern miracles of medicine. The
quarterback of the Washington Football Team, Alex Smith, has no business
being able to walk, let alone play football still. And if people have
looked and seen what his gruesome leg injuries were, and that he was able
to come back and play, we start to think, wow, well, if he could do it, and
the doctors could do with this for him, and Tiger Woods has the biggest and
the best around, maybe this will work out for him.

But, again, as you point out right at the beginning, this is a -- this is a
large moment because of who Tiger Woods is, what he represents. And, again,
to see images of a vehicle in Southern California that's been beaten up
badly that involved a sports legend, it scares you. It does.

I mean, yes, Kobe Bryant just over a year ago. And, obviously, wish -- we
certainly wish him the best here for Tiger Woods. This is a lot to take in,
Neil.

CAVUTO:  It is.

Jared, we do know that, obviously, becoming a star of his magnitude and
bigger than just the game of golf, he was at this Genesis sports event.
David Spade, Dwyane Wade were there. There are a number of pictures with
him there. There are reports that he was running a little bit delayed, TMZ,
others reporting that that might have been behind his hurry here. Don't
know where he was going.

Have you heard anything of what his schedule was like later in the day,
what was next? I mean, this is a guy who has a number of big endorsement
deals. And he has to meet with quite a few sponsors. He wants to give them
all 100 percent, not just mail it in.

But this was a pressure schedule, wasn't it?

MAX:  Neil, I -- no -- to answer your question first, no, I don't know
exactly where he was going to be going or what may have been on his mind.

But as you lay all this out and this question, all I'm thinking about is
Kobe Bryant. We just went through this on the one-year anniversary of that
tragic helicopter accident.

CAVUTO:  Yes.

MAX:  And we all kept thinking, well, what was he doing that day? And the
story was that Kobe Bryant did not want to disappoint anybody, that a
helicopter pilot would not have wanted to disappoint his friend Kobe
Bryant, and they flew when they weren't supposed to.

And, sometimes, if you think about it, when we're in a rush, we do some
stupid things. We do things that we normally wouldn't. And we say, why
don't I do that? And then you realize, oh, I wasn't really thinking
straight.

So, when we find out whatever it was, what Tiger Woods was doing, again, I
think we're all hoping that there's nothing nefarious involved. You think
back to what happened in 2009. Then there was a DUI and stuff. Tiger
doesn't seem like a person who would be involved in something like that
again.

You certainly hope it wasn't. You look for things to smile at. You made me
smile a few minutes ago, Neil, when you made the joke about the miniature
golf and hitting it through the clown's nose.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO:  Yes.

MAX:  And I guess that makes me feel just how the level of seriousness that
this is, when you see that he's in for surgeries, because, just like when
somebody -- when there's the starkest of moments, you're at a funeral, and
somebody cracks a joke, and you just want to laugh like there's no tomorrow
because it feels good.

And that -- I started to laugh out loud here waiting to talk to you when
you made the comment about the clown, almost scared me into how serious
this moment could be, or at least -- or at least the level of reverence
that we share for Tiger Woods.

CAVUTO:  All right. And we do, indeed, my friend, as I do for you.

Jared Max on all of this.

I don't think that Tiger Woods was ever into miniature golf, although he
was a very good putter, so he might have been able to get through the
clown's nose.

We do know and do pray that he will be OK. But this has mesmerized a
nation. He is an iconic figure. We just hope he's going to be OK.

Here comes "THE FIVE."

Content and Programming Copyright 2021 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2021 ASC Services II Media, LLC.  All materials
herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be
reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast
without the prior written permission of ASC Services II Media, LLC. You may
not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of
the content.