Tiger Woods may have come up just short in his bid to win the Valspar Championship, but the 14-time major champion is now firmly in the conversation when it comes to predicting the winner of next month's Masters.
Less than six months ago, Woods acknowledged he was not sure whether he would even play professional golf again, as he continued his recovery from a fourth back surgery.
Yet the 42-year-old looked fit and sharp at Palm Harbor as he posted four scores of 70 or better and finished just one shot behind tournament-winner Paul Casey in a dramatic finale.
Although Woods narrowly failed to win a first PGA Tour event since 2013, he is now widely priced as the second-favourite for the first major of 2018, which takes place at Augusta from April 5-8.
Woods has won the Masters on four occasions, albeit most recently in 2005.
We take a look at four reasons why Tiger could once again triumph at Augusta.
THE 'TIGER' FACTOR
Woods has not won a major since 2008, while a number of poor outings in unsuccessful previous comebacks from injury have undoubtedly weakened the aura of a player once renowned for his ability to instil fear in his rivals.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how young stars such as Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm or Jordan Spieth would react if they found themselves going head-to-head with Woods over the closing holes next month.
The attention surrounding Tiger - from fans on and off the course - is unprecedented, as evidenced by the enormous crowds that followed his every move last week.
If Woods is in contention with nine holes to play at Augusta, the nerve of his fellow competitors would be tested to the extreme.
Tiger has repeatedly shown he can handle that pressure in the past. Can the same be said for his rivals?
AUGUSTA KNOW-HOW
The last three Masters champions have all been first-time major-winners, but it is instructive to note how often the same names crop up on leaderboards at Augusta.
Experience can clearly provide a significant advantage when it comes to plotting a successful assault on the only course to host a men's major every year.
Augusta's greens, in particular, are notoriously tough to adapt to, but Woods has conquered them on multiple occasions - his tally of four green jackets surpassed only by Jack Nicklaus.
Even though his last win there came in 2005, Woods has since finished in the top six at the Masters on seven out of nine appearances.
SPIETH AND RORY OUT OF FORM
US PGA Championship winner Thomas would appear to be the form horse as the Masters nears, while the recent performances of world number one Dustin Johnson have been encouraging, if not spectacular.
However, two perennial Masters contenders, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, will be hoping to see significant improvements in their respective games before arriving at Augusta.
Spieth - who claimed the green jacket in 2015 before sensationally throwing away the chance to retain his title 12 months later - missed the cut at the Valspar Championship after being grouped with Woods and has yet to finish higher than ninth this year.
And although McIlroy began 2018 strongly, with two top-three finishes on the European Tour, his four subsequent outings in the USA have yielded one 20th-placed finish, a tie for 59th and two missed cuts.
SHORT GAME SHARPNESS
Arguably Woods' lowest hour amid his succession of unhappy comebacks came in January 2015, when he ran up a shocking 82 at the Phoenix Open.
At that point, the standard of Tiger's chipping was the most alarming issue.
Woods had always been famed for his prowess around the greens, but looked to have lost all confidence in his short game in a painful performance.
Happily, a return to full fitness also appears to have enabled Woods to rediscover his golden touch in the scoring zone. His chipping has looked increasingly sharp in 2018 - epitomised by a superb hole-out on Saturday at Palm Harbor.
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