This time last year, a golfer who shocked the world with his new bulked physique and extraordinary long-hitting claimed he would conquer Augusta and lift the Masters trophy.
Bryson DeChambeau did not endear himself to many golf fans when he claimed that for him, Augusta would be only a par 67, five fewer than the standard par for the pro tour.
The golf circus frowned upon the comments, seeing them as arrogant from a player who had something of a swagger already. DeChambeau was able to drive the ball so far that he could pick an amazing new straight line from tee to hole on some courses.
Only last month, he delighted spectators at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, carrying his drive 370 yards straight across the vast lake at the intimidating 6th at Bay Hill, rather than taking the usual line around the lake. 
But Augusta is different. Most holes are tree-lined with Junipers and firs, making shortcuts on the dog-legs hard, if not impossible. Accuracy off the tee is paramount, and that is something that DeChambeau was unable to get to grips with.
Trying to smash long drives across untried angles is punished by a course that traps the over-ambitious.
Sadly, for DeChambeau at least, his boast of the course being only a par 67 for him came back to haunt him. He made the cut for the final two days by the tightest of margins and finished tied 34th – hardly the work of a new challenger.
If DeChambeau was the flag-bearer of the new generation of golf, it wasn’t working. His finish was a shot behind Bernhard Langer, the 63-year-old German who was rolling back the years at Augusta.
That was last year; this is now
Thanks to the 2020 Masters event being played in November, owing to the coronavirus outbreak, there were only five months between that and this year’s showpiece tournament.
Yet, in that time, observers have seen a subtle shift in Bryson DeChambeau’s demeanour. Yes, the big-hitting is still there, but there seems to be less swagger. For many, that swagger was only a cover because this was a man uncomfortable with the attention – and in some quarters, ridicule – he was getting for his new physique and style.
But now he seems to have become accustomed to what he is – and he has noticed that he has growing support from the crowds now allowed, in limited numbers at least, back on to the golf course.
The support he got at Bay Hill was astonishing – and this moment will last long in the memory…
Further, there is a suspicion that DeChambeau has learnt to tame his own power a little, to use it only when the chance of success is high.
That, combined with a decent run of form that includes winning the US Open last September, makes him one of the favourites for Augusta. He won’t be making arrogant claims about the par of the course this week; instead, he will keep his head down and pick his way around the course with new-found respect.
The bookies are rarely wrong, and they have DeChambea at 10/1 to win the Masters, second favourite behind last year’s winner, Dustin Johnson.
While it is to be expected that Johnson, the world’s number one, would be favourite again this year, his form is not convincing, and he had not finished higher than 8th in a tournament since that November Sunday a few short months ago.
Not only that, but rivals who might usually be expected to give DeChambeau a run for his money are also off their game. Perhaps the best example of that is Rory McIlroy. He’s still quoted as 16/1 to win the Masters, but his form is woeful. He has changed his coach as he seeks to find some spark in his game.
John Rahm has been quiet by his standards; Jordan Spieth is showing signs of getting back to his best but has a long way to go, so that leaves Justin Thomas as the most likely player to challenge Johnson and DeChambeau.
There might always be a surprise from the less-known pack, of course. Some wise money might go on Sungjae Im, who was runner-up in November at Augusta and has a tour win to his name already in his young career. He is out at 33/1 for this year’s event and could be a smart each-way bet.
With all that being said, it looks like now could be the time for Bryson DeChambeau to tame Augusta. It could be his for the taking. Keep his cool, stay respectful of Augusta’s challenges, and he could be the one wearing the famous green jacket on Sunday evening. If they can find one big enough.