U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin told Golf Channel contributor Jim Gray that Tiger Woods will make the team no matter what, either based on points or as a wild card selection. What, no THE DECISION? So much for the suspense of Sept. 7.

“Of course I’m going to [pick him]. He’s the best player in the world,” Pavin told Gray Tuesday in the Whistling Straits clubhouse.

So it looks like Jack Nicklaus isn’t going to have to order that brain scan for Pavin. But then again, maybe someone else should get Pavin one. Unless Woods reveals that he has arthritis or caught whatever Henrik Stenson has, who knows how long it will take to play like a zero handicap again?

Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor Brady Riggs has his doubts, as long as Woods continues to fly solo. Riggs says that Woods “has no idea what he will shoot” this week. Riggs adds that Woods is lost trying to find Hank Haney’s swing without his former coach and excessive practice.

So why did Woods have such success in 2009 (six PGA Tour wins) with the Haney swing? If you work on something constantly — the way Woods and Haney did — you can make it work. But when Woods took time off after his Thanksgiving accident, he lost his ability to make that unnatural Haney swing work. If your swing is fine, you can take time off and not lose anything. Hunter Mahan could probably go snowboarding for four months and come back without any problems. But when you’re swing is as messy as Woods’s had become, you can’t take time off because things will get really funky really fast.

How funky are things for Woods right now? Bodog.com has the over/under on Woods’ highest first round score the rest of the year at 76.5. You can also get even money on him winning a tournament in 2010.

All I’ve got to say is Steve Stricker better be ready to carry Woods in October.