With just 43 days remaining until the Masters, expect an uptick in form from Adam Scott at this week’s Honda Classic.

The 2013 Green Jacket winner now has two tournaments under his belt for 2018 and while yet to produce anything close to his best golf, the 37-year-old has at least shaken off any tournament rust after a lengthy Christmas break.

Scott is a former winner at this venue, holding off Sergio Garcia in an epic Sunday battle two years ago, and a return to a course where he has had previous success will only be a positive as his focus sharpens for the year’s first major.

A missed cut at Pebble Beach in just his second career start earlier this month could be put down to a lack of competitive play and making the cut on the number at Riviera last week shows his game is moving in the right direction.

But Scott will now be looking to consolidate and the PGA National course, always one of the most difficult on the TOUR, plays to his strengths.

A demanding test both off the tee and into the greens, 72 holes at the Jack Nicklaus re-design will give a good indication of the true state of Scott’s game.

While two tournaments is hardly a comprehensive guide, 2018 statistics suggest Scott’s main issues have been on and around the greens.

His Strokes Gained numbers suggest he is picking up shots on the field off the tee (.557) and with his irons (1.185) but giving back around the greens (-.295) and with the putter (-.920).

This is a familiar set of numbers for Scott with the good news being that his two worst areas are often the last to become sharp after time away from the game.

Scott is one of just three Australasians teeing up his week, an unusually small number for the PGA TOUR, with Greg Chalmers and Danny Lee the others tackling the PGA National course.

Neither Lee nor Chalmers has had great success at the venue, Lee missing the cut in each of his two previous appearances while Chalmers has a best finish of T12 in 2012.

Matt Jones is on the alternates list for the week but with five players ahead of him he seems an unlikely starter.