The chances of Tiger Woods' comeback improved with a report claiming he has been talking with a former presidential advisor.

Contact between the world number one and Ari Fleisher, who since working for George W Bush has set up a sports communications firm, would presumably be to discuss an imminent return to golf.

The New York Post say they have been told by "two sources in the golf community" that Fleisher - brought in to try to repair the image of baseball star Mark McGwire as he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs - is now seeing Woods.

One of the sources allegedly told the newspaper: "They were in his living room this week going over a strategy for how to handle Bay Hill in two weeks."

The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando is on March 25-28, but Woods may first play the unofficial Tavistock Cup on Monday and Tuesday that week.

That is a private annual match between members of Isleworth and Lake Nona clubs and Woods has played for the last four years.

It is less than three weeks since Woods, in his first public appearance since his sex scandal broke at the end of November, said he was not certain to return this year, let alone a month later.