Tiger Woods is back - well at least in terms of being competitive after his headline grabbing performance at the Hero World Challenge.
Sure, it was only an 18-strong field, played on a forgiving course where the rough resembled the manicured fairways at Chamberlain Park Golf Course in Auckland.
Woods finished tied for ninth, seven shots off the pace, but close enough to the rest of the field to suggest there is still at least some of the Tiger of old buried deep inside his soul.
The television ratings showed that the sporting world is certainly still intrigued by what the 41-year-old can do with a golf club.
According to Show Buzz Daily, the tournament pulled in a 1.29 rating on NBC during the final round. What does that mean exactly? Well, to put it simply that makes it the most-watched golf presentation of 2017, excluding majors.
So does the PGA Tour need Tiger more than Tiger needs the PGA Tour?
I'm sure the answer lies somewhere in between, but you can imagine that golf's powerbrokers are hopeful the American will be a factor during the closing rounds of next year's marquee tournaments.
But don't forget, the sport is now in the hands of a new generation.
Athletes like Jordan Speith, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas have taken hold of the international scene since Mr Woods won his last tournament back in 2013.
At age 24, American Speith has already won 14 times, including three Major crowns.
His countryman Johnson is a dominant player, currently ranked world No.1 who coasted to victory at the US Open in 2016, while Kentucky-born Thomas had a breakout year, claiming the FedEx Cup (Overall money earner on the PGA).
The thought of the former world No.1 going head-to-head with the stars of today is mouth-watering.
A Kiwi view of Tiger’s renaissance
Former Eisenhower Trophy winner Phil Tataurangi was encouraged by what he saw from Woods in the Bahamas last week.
Although he's not expecting another Tiger slam anytime soon, Tataurangi believes the 14-time major championship winner is an attraction golf simply can't ignore.
"Tiger moves the needle like no one else," the 46-year-old Kiwi told Newshub.
"I think there are going to be times when Tiger plays, that irrespective of how he plays, the needle will move. People who haven't watched golf for 12-months will be watching because Tiger Woods is on the back nine."
Tataurangi added that although Woods would be a welcome addition to any tournament - the game has evolved and the PGA is top heavy with young talent that have growing fan bases.
"Do they need Tiger? Well I'm not so sure about that," he said.
"There are a whole crop of young stars, inspired by Tiger, that have transitioned golf into a slightly different place to when Tiger was duelling with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.
"Through Jay Monahan (PGA Commissioner) the Tour are making a massive effort to attract a younger audience," Tataurangi explained.
"That younger demographic wouldn't have watched Tiger Woods play on a championship Sunday.
"Would they benefit from Tiger's long term return? Yes, they would.
"Do they need Tiger Woods? I don't think so."
Can Tiger’s aging body still handle top level golf?
Woods' latest comeback, his ninth in less than a decade, comes hot on the heels of his fourth back surgery.
The four-time Masters champion said in the lead-up to the Hero tournament that he feels as good as he has in a decade, but made no promises on what his future holds.
After the tournament, Woods remarked that despite stiffness after each round - not once did he feel discomfort in his back during the four days.
That is an extremely encouraging sign given the violence he inflicted on the ball with his drives.
Tataurangi expects Woods to play a limited schedule in 2018 - including the year's premier golfing event.
"I think it will be a little more than 10 tournaments," Tataurangi said.
"He will still be a huge drawcard internationally and could fetch an appearance fee of US$1million plus.
"Then of course you have that big international event in Paris next year called the Ryder Cup.
"If Tiger can be somewhat competitive leading into that then I'm sure US captain Jim Furyk will want to take a look at him."
Tataurangi added, "I was surprised with how aggressively he was going at the ball.
"Sustained speed within his swing. What that shows is a lot of confidence in your body, your game and your control over the golf ball.
"When you talk about a guy who has just had his fourth back surgery in nine years - he didn't know two months ago whether he would be back playing golf again ever.
"Fast forward to last week and he is swinging at the ball as hard as anyone in the game. That's a pretty big turnaround."
The big question remains; 'Can Tiger Woods win again?'
Tataurangi believes he can - and it would be something not to miss.
"The Bahamas was a little tease for everyone on what could come to be.
"If he, at 42-years-of-age, finds himself competitive with the modern day player, whether you're a golf fan or not, it will be must watch TV in 2018.
"The big thing for him will be sustaining his health over a long period of time, something he hasn't done for almost a decade.
"Can he get himself to that match fitness, at the absolute elite level, to be able to close out tournaments on a Sunday? "
So what happens if Tiger is terrible again, what if the back pain comes back, what if Tiger can't compete with the new era on a consistent basis?
Tataurangi believes Woods’ is built and driven on winning.
"He's not interested in making more money, he is not interested in top 20, top 10 finishes, he wants to win.
"The only thing that he has on his mind, in my opinion, is to compete and win - His comeback will be measured by that.
"Having said that, I wouldn't think he has given himself a timeline to win."
Newshub.
