American golf star Phil Mickelson on Sunday said it was "inevitable" that Tiger Woods would get back to his best after the troubled ex-No 1 came close to breaking his two-year title drought.

Mickelson, who finished tied 33rd at the Barclays Singapore Open, said he had seen first-hand that the 14-time major champion's game was coming back together.

"I've played with him a couple of times throughout the year, watched him hit it and you can tell that his swing speed has come back," Mickelson said.

"So I don't know when it will all click and he'll be back to his normal self, but I feel like it's inevitable that he will get back there because he seems to keep getting better and better."

Mickelson, a four-time major-winner who will next year be inducted into golf's Hall of Fame, will join Woods in Melbourne for this week's Presidents Cup team event, where the United States will take on the Internationals.

The world No 11 did not know if he would be paired with Woods but he said he felt ready to help the Americans claim a fourth consecutive title after returning to action after a six-week break.

Woods' 2009 win in Melbourne was followed shortly afterwards by a major sex scandal which cost him his marriage along with key sponsors, and prompted him to take a lengthy break from the game.

Agence France-Presse