Stenson Crowns Glorious Season with Golfer of the Year Award

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

IT IS no  great surprise that Henrik Stenson has been named as the 2016 European Tour Golfer of the Year. The Swede had a stellar season, winning The Open and the Race to Dubai, as well as securing a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio. He also won the BMW International Open and contended in almost every tournament in which he took part.

Nobody who saw Stenson winning The Open at Royal Troon will ever forget it - or begrudge him this latest plaudit. In becoming the first Swede to win a major, Stenson shot a mind-boggling final round of 63 as he went blow for blow with Phil Mickelson on Scotland's Ayrshire coast. Don't forget that Mickelson himself closed the tournament with a 65 of his own. 

In the end, Stenson won by three shots and rewrote the history books, winning with a record low total of 20 under par - that amounted to a scarcely credible 264 total. Purists may tell you that majors should be won with scores around level par. Rubbish! What could possibly be better than watching two of the world's greatest golfers trading birdies, holing putts for fun, rifling iron-shots to three feet? Nothing. What's more, the two men enjoyed every second of it.

Stenson also played brilliant golf at the Olympics, but this time the 40-year-old was on the receiving end as Justin Rose did to him what he had done to Mickelson. It ended all doubts about whether or not golf deserves its place on the Olympic rota.

He was also one of the rare successes for Europe in the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. He then overtook Danny Willett at the head of the Race to Dubai by finishing second at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China, a performance which proved crucial in the season-long contest. He added further top 10 finishes in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and DP World Tour Championship.

“It has certainly been the best season of my career and to now be voted the European Tour Golfer of the Year for a second time is a fantastic way to bring the curtain down on it,” said Stenson. “To win the Claret Jug, a silver medal at the Olympics, the Race to Dubai and now this means 2016 was a very special year for me, and I am very proud of what I have achieved. 

“There have been some great golfers who have won this award, and many more who just missed out over the years, so to receive it twice now is a huge honour. You can argue that my consistency was a touch higher in 2013, but in 2016, I produced my best performances at key moments, so it will go down as the best year I have had and this award is a very nice way to end it.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of The European Tour, said: “The 2016 season was undoubtedly a memorable one for European Tour members around the world, with many so achievements to celebrate. However, Henrik Stenson not only produced one of the standout performances of the year, or indeed any year, to win the Claret Jug at Royal Troon, but he also displayed an impressive level of consistency across the entire season to win the Race to Dubai. Furthermore, Henrik consistently reminded us what a magnificent ambassador he is for the game of golf, and he is therefore a thoroughly deserving winner of the European Tour Golfer of the Year award for the second time in his career.”

Stenson pipped Willett, Rose and four-time European Tour tournament winner Alex Noren to this title, and few will disagree that he deserves it.