Graeme McDowell expects Tiger Woods will eventually regain the "mystique" he enjoyed during his reign as world number one.
US Open champion backs former world number one to regain form
Graeme McDowell expects Tiger Woods will eventually regain the "mystique" he enjoyed during his reign as world number one.
The 14-time major winner came close to ending his victory drought at the Chevron World Challenge last weekend but was beaten by McDowell in a play-off, leaving him without a win in 2010.
He has also surrendered his status as the top-ranked player in the world to Lee Westwood during the year.
But despite the setbacks, McDowell believes Woods will once again hit the top form he has so far been unable to regain after well-publicised issues in his private life.
"I think he can play his way back into having that mystique again. There's no doubt. He's just got to do the talking with his golf clubs now," the US Open champion said.
"He used to appear invincible. Of course he's made himself appear more human in the last 12 months.
Mistakes
"At the end of the day, we're all humans and we all make mistakes and we all hit bad golf shots.
"But there's something a bit special about his golf game, and I fully expect that mystique to return as the golf clubs start doing the talking again."
In contrast to Woods, McDowell has enjoyed the best year of his career, claiming his first major title and sinking the winning putt for Europe at the Ryder Cup.
He added: "I've had an up-and-down career. Plenty of ups and plenty of downs. I've always figured myself as a pretty fast learner.
"I've learned a lot from my down times, from my hard years. I've worked very hard the last three or four years and made some big decisions in my life, caddies and management and equipment companies.
"I feel like I earned my stripes a little bit, and I felt like a year like this one has been coming. Obviously the script this year has been pretty amazing. I didn't quite foresee it being this amazing.
"But I really I felt like I had some big golf in me this year, and it's been amazing to be able to do it."
