Tiger Woods has been backed to win a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour title in 2024 despite pulling out of his first tournament of the year.
Dame Laura Davies claims the signs were good in the 24 holes the former world No 1 completed before he withdrew from the Genesis Invitational.
Woods hosted the tournament in Los Angeles last week but was forced to pull out early in his second round due to illness.
The 48-year-old has since confirmed he was suffering from the flu and is now feeling better after being treated with an IV drip on Friday.
Tiger Woods has been backed to win a tournament in 2024
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It was more frustration for Woods, who missed much of 2023 after undergoing ankle surgery following his withdrawal from the Masters last April.
Woods has confirmed that he intends to play a much-reduced schedule this year, aiming to enter one tournament a month.
He hasn't won a PGA Tour tournament since the Zozo Championship in Japan in October 2019, six months after his 15th major win at the Masters.
Victory in Japan tied him level with Sam Snead on 82 as having won the most PGA Tour wins.
Snead's last win came 59 years ago at Greensboro in 1965 at the age of 52 years and 311 days.
But Davies thinks she saw enough from Woods in Los Angeles to suggest he can break that record this year if he stays free from injury.
She told Sky Sports: "The way we saw him driving it on Thursday, he was scrappy, he dropped five shots - very un-Tiger-like - and he'd already dropped a couple [on Friday before withdrawing].
"If he can drive it like that all the time, we know his irons will come around. They have been a little bit loose.
"Putting's been great; he's still holing those very important five, 10-footers. A lot of them were for pars yesterday and he made them.
"I think, if he is going to be fit - and it looked like the signs for that are good with his body - then I think we've got lots to look forward to. Without a doubt he will win this year - if he stays fit."
Woods is next likely to be in action at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass from March 14-17.
Davies also praised Woods' attitude for attempting to play on through illness in his second round at the Genesis Invitational.
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She felt he would have made the cut at the weekend if he was not forced to pull put.
Davies added: "Tiger obviously knew [he was ill] but didn't let on because great players like Tiger don't want excuses.
"The fact he didn't feel well overwhelmed him in the end, though he was playing quite nicely, hitting lots of fairways.
"The good thing is it's not the back, it's not the leg, and it just seems like he's not well.
Tiger Woods had a mixed start at the Genesis Invitational before pulling out
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"When you're struggling physically anyway, that's just too much, even for someone like him.
"He doesn't want to do long-term damage in not feeling well and making a mess of things out there because of that. Even as good as he is, you don't want to put big numbers up.
"I actually think, if he had been fit, he'd have probably made the cut; the cut was one-over at the time, and he was two-over when he had to withdraw."
