Tiger Woods called it "a shocker" to learn his friend Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash.
Woods was told the news by his caddie, Joe LaCava, after completing his final round at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego on Sunday.
Bryant reportedly was one of nine people on board a helicopter that crashed at approximately 10 a.m. local time in Calabasas, Calif. Local authorities said that there were no survivors. Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also died in the crash, the NBA announced.
MORE: Rest of sports world reacts to Bryant's death
Bryant, who won five NBA championships with the Lakers and earned scores of personal accolades, was nicknamed "Mamba," and golf fans were urging an oblivious Woods to produce a magical round in the basketball great's memory.
"I didn't really understand why the people were saying, 'Do it for Mamba'," Woods, an ardent Lakers fan and a Bryant admirer, told CBS Sports in a postround interview. "But now I understand. It's a shocker for everyone. I'm unbelievably sad."
Tiger Woods reflects on the tragic passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/t4F2Sqj57Z
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 26, 2020
Woods said Bryant was an inspiration as a player.
"He brought it each and every night on both ends of the floor," Woods told CBS. "Not too many guys can say that throughout NBA history.
"He locked up on D [defense], obviously he was dominant on the offensive side, but anytime he was in the game he'd take on their best player and just shut him down for all 48 minutes and that was one of the more impressive things I think in his entire career.
"When he ruptured his Achilles (in 2013) and went to the foul line and made his shots, that's tough."