Tiger Woods must still occasionally pinch himself when he recalls his triumph at the Masters in 2019. After all, it was the kind of sporting story that simply seemed implausible. Here was a golfer whose game had been devastated by a mixture of chronic injury, pain and bad publicity. To then redeem himself in the most glorious fashion by winning one of golf’s most storied tournaments at a course like Augusta National was the stuff of dreams.

And really, Augusta seems like the only course where such a feat could be realised. There is something about the gentle rustling of the leaves, and the spring sunshine which beats down upon the fairways that suggests beautiful, transcendent moments are poised to occur. As Woods wrapped up the most famous of victories, you could almost sense the echoes of past triumphs by the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, and Woods himself whistling through the great oaks and azaleas that line the course.

That was over 18 months ago, with the coronavirus pandemic putting paid to the Masters’ original dates of early April. Instead, we are in for the unique experience of an autumn Masters, where Woods will be seeking to prove that this is not yet the autumn of his career. The 44-year-old has posted disappointing finishes at this year’s two majors so far, ending up tied for 37th at the PGA Championship before missing the cut in the US Open at Winged Foot, New York.

Those are not the kind of results you expect from a golfer of Woods’ calibre, but then when you look at his results in majors since returning from injury, they suggest a level of inconsistency which defines a golfer burning out. There have, of course, been exquisite moments, the Masters triumph being the greatest of these, with second and sixth-place finishes at the PGA Championship at The Open in 2018 also proving to be good performances from the American.

But those three good showings represent the only time Woods has finished in the top 20 at a major in his last 10 outings in golf’s big four events. Within that there have been four occasions where he missed the cut, proof that Woods is struggling to find his best form on a regular basis.

Of course, the wonder of a sporting great like Woods is that they can turn it on when you least expect it, just as the American did to win the Masters last year. Under the ageing exterior, the talent and winning mentality remains hidden within, waiting to burst forth at any given moment. Is it too much to suggest that such a performance could come out again at this year’s Masters? The Masters odds will always place Woods as a potential winner as long as he is competing, and there is hope among golf fans that we’ll see Woods claiming that green jacket again this year.

It’s a big ask given the nature of the competition. The likes of Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy, three men chasing their maiden Masters title, or in Rahm’s case his first major, will provide stiff opposition. The same can be said of tournament favourite Bryson DeChambeau, who tore up Winged Foot to win the US Open with his new brand of power golf. Suffice to say, Woods will have his work cut out to repeat his heroics.

But then, he was up against it last year too, and look what happened. Too often in sport we focus too intently on the hard facts and figures, obsessing over what is the most likely outcome. Perhaps we ought to let ourselves get caught up in the romantic moments sport throws up now and then – like Woods’ incredible Masters win last year – and get excited about the prospect of experiencing it all again.