Fowler flies above the field in the Bahamas

Rickie Fowler was the first player to offer a scouting report on Tiger Woods ahead of his celebrated return to golf, hinting that Woods was hitting it “way by” him in some of their matches in Florida.

Fowler’s own game apparently was in pretty good shape, too.

Seven shots behind to start the final round of the Hero World Challenge, Fowler opened with seven straight birdies Sunday and closed with an 11-under 61 to set the course record at Albany Golf Club and win by four shots over Charley Hoffman.

Fowler played twice with Woods before he was runner-up at the OHL Classic in Mexico, and then a couple of more times before U.S. Thanksgiving.

Fowler and Woods each had cause for celebrations, large and small, in the Bahamas.

Fowler won his second title of the year.

In a week that began with so much curiosity over how Woods would perform, he had his best result in four years. More than his score, he looked strong from start to finish.

Playing for the first time in 10 months while recovering from fusion surgery on his lower back — his fourth back surgery in three years — Woods shot another 31 on the front nine and closed with back-to-back bogeys to tie for ninth in an 18-man field. It was his best result since a playoff loss at this holiday event in 2013 at Sherwood Country Club in California.

Woods still finished 10 shots behind Fowler. Then again, Fowler didn’t give anyone much of a chance, finishing with an 18-under 270.

Tommy Fleetwood, the Race to Dubai winner from England who is getting married Tuesday in the Bahamas, closed with a 67 and tied for third with Jordan Spieth (69), who has not finished out of the top 10 since the PGA Championship.