American captain Corey Pavin insists Masters champion Phil Mickelson is fully committed to playing at the Ryder Cup at Newport’s Celtic Manor in October.

This week Pavin was quoted as saying “I am not sure if Phil’s locked into making the team’’ due to his off-course situation with his wife and mother battling breast cancer.

But after carding a bogey-free opening round five-under-67 in China yesterday to sit three shots off the lead, Pavin insists he is confident Mickelson will make an eighth consecutive appearance as the USA seek 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.

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 at Augusta the two-time Ryder Cup winner currently tops the USA point table.

Pavin added: “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. I know he wants to play.’’ Pavin, though, is less certain about the availability of Tiger Woods after the world number one returned from his self-imposed exile with fourth 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 and into an automatic qualification place.

“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. Just because he is Tiger doesn’t mean he has a free pass on to the team just like any other player.’’ Pavin was paired with European skipper Colin Montgomerie. “We didn’t talk about the Ryder Cup. We had a couple of conversations, but it was just chit-chat,’’ said Pavin.

“We wouldn’t talk Ryder Cup on the course. It’s too serious for the course. We had one little chat off course about the Ryder Cup, but it wasn’t dramatic. We had good conversation on the course. it was fun.”