He might not be at 100%, but he'll head into this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational with a renewed confidence after finishing in a tie for second in Florida.
Woods has won the Invitational eight times, and CBS Sports pundit Luke Elvy told Radio Sport he believed Woods had to be the favourite at the event this week.
"We know what Tiger's like when he gets that winning confidence again, it's like a tiger gets the smell of blood, the smell of fear in everyone else and all of a sudden it just dominates."
Woods finished one shot off the lead at the Valspar Championship, with England's Paul Casey taking the win. However, the American's performance was good enough to see him tipped as the second favourite to win the Masters.
However, Elvy believed Woods could become the favourite to win the green jacket if he takes out the Invitational.
"That he could be favourite for a fifth green jacket within six month of returning from a spinal fusion? Astonishing, absolutely astonishing.
"The generation that Tiger has inspired, he's now going to go toe to toe with them in the biggest event in the game. It's the perfect storm right now."
While Elvy wasn't sure Woods would ever be able to play at the same level as in his prime, he said even at 85 or 90%, Woods had a chance to be competitive in every tournament he entered.
"When Tiger says it, why can't we all believe it? The way he's flighting his shots, the iron shots have been most impressive, the speed he's got, the power he's been able to generate – he's hitting the ball as far as the longest players in the game.
"Every golfer out there's going to go and get a spinal fusion now because he's hitting the ball so far."
