Golf Barometer: Healed Hideki

We're now just three weeks out from the Masters as potential qualifiers will learn their fate on Mar. 26, when those in the top-50 of the OWGR who have not yet qualified will earn their invitation to Augusta. There are still a pair of significant events between now and then, however, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. We'll now take a look at several trends on Tour as the Florida swing culminates at Bay Hill.

VALUE RISING

Tiger Woods

Woods flirted with the notion that he'd quickly be able to return to a highly competitive level of play after posting three top-25s in four starts to begin the season, but a runner-up finish at last week's Valspar Championship essentially confirmed what he's capable of at this point. There was an immense sense of nostalgia at Innisbrook when he dropped that 44-foot birdie putt on No. 17 during Sunday's final round to move just one back of Paul Casey heading to the final hole. Repping his Sunday red and blazing swing speed, Tiger confirmed that he's here to win. The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill would be the perfect spot for his comeback victory, having already won the event eight times in his storied career.

Jamie Lovemark

Lovemark's 2017-18 campaign took a turn for the worse when he missed four consecutive cuts from the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open through the Farmers Insurance Open, but he's bounced back with four straight made cuts and finishes of T16-7-T26 in his past three starts. The 92nd-ranked player in the OWGR has broken 70 in five of his last eight rounds, jumping back inside the top-60 in the FedExCup standings. He'll look to maintain momentum at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he's placed T23-T6 the past two years.

Jason Kokrak

Kokrak has made the cut in all six of his starts throughout the early months of 2018, which has included a pair of top-10s and a T20. He's not losing strokes in any category this season, while he also ranks top-30 on Tour in driving distance, birdie average and scrambling.

Rory Sabbatini

Once upon a time, the 41-year-old South African was ranked eighth in the world as he won four times from 2006 to 2011. Although he hasn't found the winner's circle since, Sabbatini is regaining relevance after rattling off seven consecutive made cuts and a pair of top-20s in his last two starts. He's up to 77th in the FedExCup standings, which might not sound like much, but it's quite an improvement from his finishes of 124th and 191st the past two seasons.

VALUE FALLING

Chez Reavie

Reavie had gone 22 consecutive starts without a missed cut before failing to make it through to the weekend at last week's Valspar Championship. He had posted uninspiring results of T52 and T73 in his two starts prior at the WGC-Mexico Championship and Genesis Open, so this could be considered a mini-slump after notching back-to-back runner-ups at Pebble Beach and TPC Scottsdale. He's still top-20 on Tour in both driving accuracy and GIR percentage, but he's also not a lock to qualify for the Masters at 47th in the OWGR.

Ian Poulter

Poulter originally had plans to play at Augusta this April, but missed cuts in his last two starts at the Valspar Championship and Honda Classic have bounced him outside of the top-60 in the OWGR. He'll have his work cut out for him at the API and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in order to make the Masters, but his recent form isn't promising.

INJURY UPDATE

Hideki Matsuyama

Matsuyama has patiently been in healing mode since injuring his wrist at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February, but he'll finally be making his return at the API this week. The world's sixth-ranked golfer had finished top-five in three of four starts prior to the wrist issue, but could be a risky pick at Bay Hill if there's any chance of a setback. It shouldn't take long for Matsuyama to return to form if he remains healthy, however, as he ranks top-five on Tour in both SG: T2G and SG: Total.