The former world No1

The former world No1 has taken a battering, with a queue forming around the block to declare him yesterday's man, but a final-round, six-under-par 66 and a first top-10 finish since last summer's US Open at Pebble Beach, suggested his obituarists might have cause to regret their haste – and maybe sooner than they could possibly have imagined.

Augusta National, where Woods has won four Masters titles, is coming round for those who have not noticed. The man himself certainly has.

Are you still on track for Augusta? He was asked. "Oh yeah," he replied with a sly smile. You like your chances? "Mm-hmm," came the response.

Given his recent career trajectory such confidence is to be admired, although it should also be qualified. Woods may have finished on a high but he also finished eight shots behind the winner, the young American Nick Watney, who achieved the most significant victory of his career with a closing round of 67, five under par, and a 72-hole total of 272, 16 under.

Watney, it need hardly be said, is no mug. And nor are the big-hitting Dustin Johnson, who finished second, Luke Donald, Rickie Fowler and Francesco Molinari, all of whom finished ahead of Woods.

The new generation have arrived and they are not intimidated by the 14-time major champion. Who could blame them after watching Woods struggle to implement the swing changes introduced by his controversial new coach, Sean Foley.

Yet, as he has consistently asserted after deciding last autumn to change his swing – for the third time since turning professional – these things take time. "I have felt better at the end of every tournament I have played this year, even though the results have not been good," he said. "I felt like I hit a lot of good shots today and when I missed one I knew straight away how to fix it. That feels good."

He would say that but Thomas Bjorn, his playing partner for the day, was happy to provide a glowing reference after being beaten by five shots over 18 holes.