Even the most ardent of golf followers would have to concede it has been a bruising few months for the sport.
Tennis gave us the fairytale romance of Emma Raducanu’s US Open win and the Royal and Ancient game responded with the spectacular downfall of Phil Mickelson.
F1’s new audience of Netflix nerds got to witness an epic duel in glamorous places around the globe and golf offered the awful prospect of a circuit of Saudi sportswashers making easy millions.
No one could complain that golf slipped down the sporting agenda as a consequence.
Tiger Woods' return to the Masters has stirred the soul of golf after a bruising few months
The downfall of Phil Mickelson and the prospect of a Saudi league has damaged the sport
Now — at last — some news to stir the soul. A story filled with human drama that transcends not only the boundaries of the game but sport itself. All in time for the start of a new season of majors, at the venue where the game invariably puts its best foot forward.
Over the past 25 years, golf has had countless reasons to thank the heavens that Earl Woods chose this game for his son rather than others.
Now, after all this time, it is Tiger again who’s holding the beacon high, ready to shine a light upon a first round of the Masters that promises to be like no other.
At 46, the same age as Jack Nicklaus when he became the oldest winner in 1986, it is Woods who is left, right and centre.
Woods is holding the beacon high, ready to shine a light upon a first round of the Masters
At 46, Woods is the same age as Jack Nicklaus (right) when he became the oldest winner in 1986
The weather gods are certainly not going easy on the miracle man. Some two inches of rain were dumped on the course on Tuesday following a series of thunderstorms, turning an arduous walk into an even more punishing one.
Over the next four days, there will be gusty winds and cool temperatures, hardly ideal for a man who has had five back operations.
Yet he looks remarkable. Did all the months away from the game and the twisted movements it demands have the unforeseen benefit of helping his back, following the operation he had just before his fateful car accident 14 months ago?
His move through the ball is freer than at his last major — the 2020 Masters. Who knows how he will do. Every golfing logic known to man or woman says he hasn’t a prayer of even making the halfway cut.
But do you honestly think Tiger would be here if all he thought he was doing was giving his army of patrons the chance to walk 36 holes in his company? That’s even more illogical.
He wasn’t indulging in delusions of grandeur when he said in his Tuesday press conference that he was hitting the ball just fine.
Over nine holes on Monday he was keeping up with Justin Thomas, a medium to long hitter, off the tee.
Woods was keeping up with Justin Thomas (left) during Monday's practice round
