Does Mark Wilson Deserve a Ryder Cup Nod?

As the 2012 Ryder Cup is set to tee-off later this season in Chicago, the buzz around who will make the United States and European teams has already started to heat up. Many of the usual names are likely to make the team by merit or by captain's choice, however one name should be considered strongly for American Captain Davis Love III:

Mark Wilson

To say that Wilson has played well over the last 12 months would be a bit of an understatement. He's won three times during that stretch, including last week's Humana Challenge at La Quinta. During the FedEx Cup Playoffs last season, Wilson put on quite the show for his (new) home crowd at the BMW Championship in Lemont, Illinois before ultimately falling short of the title. He is as consistent of a leaderboard contender as any player on TOUR right now, and DL3 has surely taken notice. (Note: Steve Stricker has also won three times in 12 months, but he has been a staple for the Americans at the Ryder Cup for years)

As PGATOUR.com's Brian Wacker writes, Wilson's success - specifically in the beginning of the year this season and last - might be attributed to taking a much-needed break before January.

"The only thing can I think of is that the break in November and December; I can clear my mind of golf," Wilson said. "I tend to remember the good things I did the season before, and when I've come out the last two years, I really just had a clear mind and really focusing on what I'm doing, not worrying about my standing in the world rankings or my standing in the money list or FedExCup or how I'm doing against or the players that week.

"I feel like I'm more into my zone."

As a fan of Wilson's game and consistency, I would wholeheartedly support using a captain's pick on him (assuming he doesn't make the team by points). The only player on TOUR playing up to his level is the aforementioned Stricker, who happens to have a game extremely similar to that of Wilson. Stricker's success at the Ryder Cup is well-documented, and one might assume that a player of Wilson's ilk may have similar success should he be granted the opportunity.