"A shocker to everyone": When Tiger Woods came to know about Kobe Bryant's fatal accident

Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant burst out on the sporting scene at almost the same time in 1996 and went on to become legends in their respective games. The two were also close buddies.

On January 26th, 2020, Bryant and eight other passengers, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, passed away in a helicopter crash. As the world tried to make sense of the shocking news, his friend Tiger Woods was competing at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, unaware of the incident.

His caddie at the time, Joe La Cava, found out about it and confirmed it from a cameraperson as Woods focused on his game. The veteran caddie thought it best not to inform the golfer at the time. After Woods finished his round and was walking to the clubhouse with La Cava, he was informed of his friend's passing.

Woods was visibly in disbelief as he was ushered inside the clubhouse by La Cava, who was aware of the cameras around them. Getting emotional, the ace golfer spoke about the incident at a press conference later.

"It's a shocker to everyone. It's unbelievably sad, and it's one of the more tragic days. The reality is setting in because I was just told about five minutes ago," he said via Talk Sport.

As sports fans paid their tributes to Kobe Bryant on his fifth death anniversary on Sunday, the 2025 edition of the Farmers Insurance Open concluded a day before. Tiger Woods was not a part of the field.

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"We really connected on the mental side of things" - Tiger Woods on his friendship with Kobe Bryant

Tiger Woods reflected on his friendship with Kobe Bryant in the press conference at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, just learning after the basketball legend's demise. (via Talk Sport)

"We were closer when he was playing and I had a home in Newport. We'd work out together and hang a little bit. When I sold that house and lived full-time in Florida, I didn't see him that often. But every now and again, he'd reach out and I'd reach out to him,"

Both Woods and Bryant were known for their mental strength. Many fans even cheered towards Woods at Torrey Pines in 2020 to do it "for Mamba", although he couldn't understand the sentiment of it then. Woods spoke highly of Bryant's "attention to detail".

"We really connected on the mental side of things, the prep, and how much it takes. I don't have to react like him, we can take our time, but you still have to pay attention to the details.That's what he did better than any player in NBA history. He paid attention to the details and the little things,"

He further added:

"That's where we connected. We're very similar. We had our 20-year run together. It's just shocking,"

Woods spoke highly of the NBA star's discipline. His passing was a great loss to the sporting world.