Reports of Tiger Woods's resurrection have not been exaggerated. His close brush in Tampa last Sunday was impressive enough for a number of bookmakers to cut him to 8-1 favouritism for the Masters in three weeks' time. What did Woods think of that? "There's a number of 'gamble-holics' out there," he said with a grin.
Believe it or not, however, Woods cannot be ruled out of gaining a fifth Green Jacket. His competitive spirit was ever thus. And this did again seem like the Woods of old, particularly as there was a classic show-reel moment. Some of his birdies were soon being played on loop on the cable sports shows to an American audience utterly transfixed by this comeback.
Woods is clearly in his element and relishing being competitive again after three years of crippling back problems.
He is only 10 months removed from a make-or-break spinal fusion and he joked with reporters about the new, ultra-positive tone of their queries.
Golf fans agog
"You guys are asking different questions than you did when I first came back and that wasn't that long ago; that's two months ago," he said. "The narrative has completely flipped. I enjoy just playing again."
His comeback is compelling from a sporting perspective, but Woods's resurgence is also like gold dust for golf's PGA Tour.
The 42-year-old defied spine-fusion surgery last April, the latest of four back operations, to finish within one shot of a playoff for a first victory since 2013 at last week's Valspar Championship in Florida.
It was a remarkable return to the top of the game by the former world No1, who feared his career was over during "dark times" in his recuperation.
And it had fans and golf watchers gripped, with TV ratings for the weekend at record levels and social media abuzz. "It's a story that the world is finding very compelling and ... that's what you want as a business," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told CNN.NBC Sports reported its third-round TV viewing figures were up 181% on the same day last year, while the final round drew a 5.11 overnight rating - the highest audience outside the majors since the 2013 Players Championship, won by Woods.
It was also the highest non-Masters rating since the 2015 PGA Championship. The event had 27.2-million minutes streamed across Golf Channel and NBC Sports digital platforms - the most-streamed PGA Tour event ever for the network, it reported.
All that, despite the emergence in Woods's absence of exciting young stars such as Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
"We have grown over the last few years as these new players have come forward, but nobody has produced more compelling television in sport over the last 20 years than Tiger Woods," added Monahan.
"Now he's reintroduced into the mix. I think it's clear that people are really interested to see how the Phils [Mickelson], how the Tigers, how they are going to perform against these great young players."
Earlier this month Mickelson edged Thomas in a playoff at the WGC-Mexico Championship to earn his first victory since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield.
Woods won the last of his 14 majors in 2008, and many had written him off as a credible major contender even if he recovered enough to resume playing on the Tour.
"It was a tough, tough road," Woods said in Dubai in February 2017 during a short-lived comeback. "There was a lot of dark times where I couldn't get out of bed, couldn't move, the pain was too great."
Remarkable comeback
"Anyone who's ever had nerve pain in their back, they certainly understand what that feels like. I honestly didn't know this time last year, I didn't know if I'd ever play golf again."
But after a pain-free return to the game in December, Woods's performance over the Copperhead course in Palm Harbour suggests he now ranks among the favourites for a fifth Masters title and first since 2005 at Augusta in April.
"The injuries that he had to overcome were significant and when you are talking about four back surgeries, I think a lot of people would assume that is an obstacle that one can't overcome," added Monahan.
"So for him to come back and to be performing very well - I think that is what is so compelling to people."
The next chapter in the Woods story is the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which ends tomorrow morning (SA time).
The Masters begins on April 5...