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Tiger Woods Makes Solid Start at Augusta After Return from Injury; Ukraine Military: Russia Trying to Wipe Mariupol Off Face of the Earth; Ukraine: Ru9ssia Using Mobile Crematoriums to Cover Up Deaths; Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain Premiers Sunday at 9P ET. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 07, 2022 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Tiger Woods is on the 15th hole and is five shots off the lead at Augusta National. And he began his first round of play at the Masters today in front of massive crowds. And remember, it's just been a year since he was involved in that extremely serious car accident.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Tiger says the big challenge for him here is walking so much. The course is a full 18 holes, that's nearly six miles.

Joining us now is the managing editor at "Golfweek" and former golf coordinator at "U.S.A. Today," Tim Schmitt. Tim, it was only 14 months ago, that he was in that horrible car accident. He almost lost his right leg. He didn't know -- doctors I don't think knew if he would walk again. So, how is he looking today? How is he doing?

TIM SCHMITT, MANAGING EDITOR, GOLFWEEK: It's an incredible story. I mean, I was on this station 14 months ago, 408 days ago, saying I don't think there's a chance that Tiger Woods walks again, and here he is less, you know, than 14 months later challenging in the toughest golf tournament in the world with the best players in the world. And, by the way, let's add another component to this, playing a different game than the one that Tiger Woods played that we all knew back when he was winning major championships consistently.

[15:35:00]

In his group with Joaquin Niemann, he has actually been the trailing player in most of the fairways, meaning he isn't outdriving his opponents like in the past, sometimes with Louis Oosthuizen who's another tour player, about similar distance to Tiger now. They've been neck-and-neck. But this is a guy now -- Tiger Woods playing a completely different game and, by the way, he's in the mix. It's absolutely incredible.

I've been sitting with Christine Brennan, who is a CNN contributor, and, you know, she travels the world. She goes to the Olympics and these other events. She just keeps turning and saying to me, I can't believe what I'm watching, and that's kind of the sentiment from everyone here.

CAMEROTA: How do we explain it? I mean, he had multiple fractures to his tibia, his fibula, as we know he's had previous back surgeries. How is he doing this?

SCHMITT: Yes, it's a great question. Could anyone else do this? I don't think so or at least I don't think many of us think so. I will tell you this, Tiger Woods is the hardest worker on the PGA tour and has been since the day that he stepped in the building. So, he does it through hard work. He's one of those guys who is just a constant -- you know, not just a practice hound but someone who is constantly working on his physique. I mean, to look at him he looks as good as ever in terms of, you know, there's no slump, there's no slouch, nothing about him suggests that a year and a half --

CAMEROTA: We froze, Tim.

SCHMITT: -- (INAUDIBLE) and I think that's the case here but it really is an absolutely incredible story.

CAMEROTA: Tim, we lost you for one second, so if you could just put a final point on is this just his natural determines? Does he have a high pain threshold? Is this perseverance? What's the larger story here?

SCHMITT: Yes, Tiger is just the hardest worker in the game and maybe in all of pro sports that is what it comes down to. And to be honest with you, it's funny to see how other players in the field who would be surprised by this with anyone else aren't surprised by Tiger Woods. We just don't know what this guy can pull off. He keeps amazing us. It's often just through his hard work. Obviously, he has unbelievable talent but his hard work is really the determining factor.

CAMEROTA: Tim Schmitt, great to talk to you. We'll be watching.

BLACKWELL: Ukraine is claiming that Russia is attempting to now hide evidence of their brutal war crimes. Alleging that Russia is using portable crematorium to hide the bodies of civilians killed in Mariupol.

We're going to get reaction from the Mariupol City Council Deputy next.

[15:40:00]

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BLACKWELL: A Ukrainian military commander says that Russia is trying to wipe Mariupol off the face of the earth. The international Red Cross calls what's happening there a catastrophe.

Joining me now is Mariupol's city council deputy Maksym Borodin. Thank you for being with me. I mean, the pictures that we see out of Mariupol and the reports are awful. To consider 90 percent of the buildings damaged, still maybe more than 100,000 people there, is there any aid getting in? Are buses being able to get in to help people get out?

MAKSYM BORODIN, MARIUPOL CITY COUNCIL DEPUTY: No. Russia still blocks all the trains of Ukrainian government to get humanitarian convoys to Mariupol. There are no chances for any buses or humanitarian aid from the Ukrainian side to Mariupol. Russia is showing that only them getting some help to the citizens. They make one on one charges to get some help but they film it on the video and show that Russians are good people and they help the Mariupol citizens.

Of course, they have totally destroyed our city. We don't have any problems with anything. It was prosperous city. And now they show the killed people. It's really cynical and for me looking to my lovely city is totally destroyed. It's terrible. We have now about 5,000 homeless people when they totally destroyed Mariupol.

BLACKWELL: You know, for all that we're seeing and just the atrocities in that city there is a chance that the world may never know the full scope because -- as the deputy there of the Mariupol city council -- you all have released a statement saying the Russians are using these portable crematoria to burn the bodies of those killed. What more can you tell me about those crematoria and what's happening across the city?

BORODIN: Today anyone can say for sure what Russians do on this territory because they totally disconnect Mariupol from the Ukraine. They specifically destroyed cell phone towers and they tried to install now their phone provider. So, there's no connection with the city at all and from the people who can flee out for the last weeks we know that every day situation is worse. There are not any civil rights for citizens which are left. Russians can do all they want with them.

[15:45:00]

They start filtration camp and they check anyone from young to old who want to go out from the city to the site of Ukraine and to the site of Russian. And they check for position for activism or for military. And the people who can catch them -- they can kill in a moment or take to the prison without any judgment or without any rules of law.

BLACKWELL: It's interesting that you say that you can't even get the information out because the Russians are controlling the technical communication into and out of Mariupol. Let me ask you about what we heard from the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba today who says that the talks are continuing between the Ukrainians and Russians to hopefully prevent the next Bucha or another Bucha. Of course, where we saw people who had been killed with their hands tied behind their back. We're getting more video out of that city.

Do you think that it's possible to negotiate something like that? To convince the Russians not to commit those types of atrocities when they're not admitting they've done it at all in the first place.

BORODIN: I think without adequate answer Russians continue to move forward. Mariupol, it's not their stop place. They want to go in further to take all the region of the Donetsk region and Luhansk region and now our government tries to take the people from these places to get them to another more safely position. Because to understand Russians are reuniting all their forces to this area and I think it will be final battle with Ukraine and with Russia. So, we need all the help our allies can get us in the next days, because if we don't get this help, it will be -- we can't win this war. And if we don't win this war, they will go even further.

BLACKWELL: We know that the West says, that listen, this could be a protracted fight, that this war could go on for months, maybe even years. Maksym Borodin, thank you.

CAMEROTA: Well, Ukraine's foreign minister warning the fight for the Donetsk region of Ukraine is going to look like World War II. We have the latest from the region just ahead.

[15:50:00]

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CAMEROTA: We have some breaking news right now out of Israel. At least two people are dead, eight others hurt after an apparent shooting attack in Tel Aviv.

BLACKWELL: Police say the attack happened at a bar in the center of the city. Four of the victims are in serious or critical condition. That's according to a spokesperson for the hospital where the victims are being treated.

Now, a police commander says it's not clear right now is more than one shooter was involved. There is now a search to find the suspect or suspects involves. And just moments ago, the mayor of Tel Aviv went on Israeli television and told people to stay in their homes.

Well, chef, writer, traveler, friend, Anthony Bourdain played a special role for millions of people around the world. And now as CNN prepares to bring you the new film "ROADRUNNER" a film about Anthony Bourdain, some of his closest family and friends share some of their favorite memories of Tony. Here's journalist Jason Rezaian whose appearance on Tony's show "Parts Unknown" played a critical role in securing his freedom after he was arrested in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON REZAIAN, FORMER TEHRAN BUREAU CHIEF, WASHINGTON POST: When he came to Iran, I had been living and working there for five years. And just to be invited to sit down and do a segment with Tony on "Parts Unknown," this is a huge deal, everybody knew that. When the food came out, it was covered in Saran wrap and cellophane -- which is always a bad sign when you're in a restaurant -- and it was not a memorable meal because of the food. It was really a memorable meal because of the conversation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four individuals were arrested here ...

REZAIAN: We were arrested just a few weeks after we taped that segment. And I knew that appearing on "Parts Unknown" would have a dramatic effect. That did more to raise awareness about our case than anything else.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Ali Rezaian, Jason's brother joins me along with Anthony Bourdain.

REZAIAN: You wrote op-eds. he talked about me publicly. And when we got out, he continued to be a champion for us. Yeganeh and I walked away from that knowing that Tony was somebody that had our backs. He was an advisor and confidant.

[15:55:00]

There were always nuggets of wisdom and advice that we carried with us and really helped us chart a path forward.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: So, this film is just an incredible window into his life. The new CNN film "ROADRUNNER" a film about Anthony Bourdain premieres Sunday at 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

And "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" live from Ukraine starts after a short break.

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