Ahead of this week's Volvo China Open -- where Pavin played the first two rounds with European Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie -- Pavin was quoted as saying "I am not sure if Phil's locked into making the team" and it was suggested given Mickelson's off-course situation with his wife and mother battling breast cancer, the world No. 2 has yet to commit himself to playing in Wales.

But Pavin is confident Mickelson will make an eighth consecutive appearance as the United States seeks to hang on to the famous trophy in October.

"I meant by the points; if he has made enough points to be already guaranteed to play," said Pavin, a two-time Ryder Cup winner as a player.

Mickelson has taken time away from the game to be with his family and missed the WCG-Accenture Match Play Championship in February, but after winning a third Green Jacket last week, the two-time Ryder Cup winner currently tops the USA point table.

"I was just saying that I don't know if he has already made enough points to lock himself into the team if he didn't make another point," Pavin clarified. "I know he wants to play."

Pavin, though, is less certain about the availability of Tiger Woods after the world No. 1 returned from his self-imposed exile with a fourth-place finish at Augusta only to then reveal he plans to take another break.

His finish at Augusta pushed Woods, who has only been on a winning Ryder Cup team once in five appearances, up to seventh on the points table.

"If Tiger is playing well enough, I would give him a captain's pick if he didn't qualify, but he would have to be playing well enough," added Pavin. "If he doesn't play at all leading up to the Ryder Cup it is going to be pretty tricky to pick him as I don't know how he would be playing." 

"It would be hard not to pick him at any point, but he needs to play well, he needs to show me he is playing well just like any other play," he added. "Just because he is Tiger doesn't mean he has a free pass on to the team just like any other player."