Robert Lee reflects on another memorable European Tour season and looks forward to Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton flying the flag for English golf in the future.
The 2016 season is in the can, and we were treated to an entertaining finale in Dubai as Matt Fitzpatrick finished strongly to pip Tyrrell Hatton to the title, while Open champion Henrik Stenson regained the Race to Dubai crown.
We've only got a 10-day break in between seasons, although most of the big-name players tend to take around six weeks off to recharge before coming back in January. But the guys that have just earned their cards cannot wait to get going. The last thing they want to do is have a long wait before having the chance to establish themselves on Tour.
The priority for the lesser-ranked players is to get into the stronger fields over the Desert Swing, so they will be looking for a strong performance over the next couple of weeks, or back in South Africa early in January. That's why these early-season events are so important. Without them, a lot of players would not get the chance to tee it up until February.
But one of the guys that doesn't have to worry about that is Fitzpatrick, who ended the 2016 campaign with a classy win over a world-class field in Dubai. It was his second win of a season that has been a little inconsistent in terms of results, although I don't really see him as a streaky player.
In 29 starts, Matt had five top-10 finishes including the two victories, but he is just 22 years of age and time is very much on his side. The way he plays, there's no doubt in my mind we'll see him in the top 10 on a far more regular basis, and his success in Dubai should be a catalyst for that.
He's very solid from tee to green, doesn't make many mistakes and he is an excellent putter. With such a strong all-round game, Matt should be in contention most weeks and I think we'll see that as he matures. He has got a lot to look forward to.
Stenson was crowned Race to Dubai champion for the second time, and his achievement was very special considering he made only 13 appearances on the European Tour over the season. Obviously, he played well in most of the big events, highlighted by his long-awaited maiden major title at The Open.
But he is a worthy European No 1, and his astonishing performance to fend off Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in July was surely the round of the year, if not one of the greatest rounds ever played. To shoot 63 in the final round of The Open and get your name on the Claret Jug, that is the mark of a Race to Dubai champion.
Danny Willett finished second in the Race to Dubai for the second year running, and it was a shame he had only two top 10 finishes following his memorable win at the Masters - which was arguably the shock result of the year, even for Danny!
To win at Augusta in only your second appearance is a very rare feat, and it seemed highly unlikely when Jordan Spieth opened up a huge lead by the turn. But Spieth's amazing collapse opened the door for Danny, and he took his chance in some style.
He knew he had the lead by the time he hit that stunner to six feet at 16 and popped in the putt for birdie, and he finished it off beautifully.
Making the adjustment to being a Masters champion can be tough to handle, and I think we saw that with Danny over the summer, and his ongoing back issues haven't helped. He's certainly not the only one with back problems, look at Jason Day over the second half of the season.
Danny has already revealed he is working with his coaching team on a few swing changes to alleviate the pain in his back, and hopefully he'll find something that works and allows him to practise and play as much as he needs to next year.
As Willett struggled with his game during the summer, Alex Noren was at the opposite end of the spectrum and enjoyed the best season of his career by far. Four wins in his last 12 events kept him in with a shout in the Race to Dubai, and his remarkable Nedbank victory lifted the Swede to world No 9.
I didn't think anyone could top Jeunghun Wang's 64 on the third day in South Africa when the greens were firm and fast, the wind was up and the pins were tucked away. But then Alex Noren fires a 63 on Sunday and turns a six-shot overnight deficit into a handsome six-shot win.
He was nine under par after 11 holes, and that was something I just couldn't see, not on that golf course. Alex has played some amazing golf this year, and it was just a shame he didn't quite find enough in time to get himself into Europe's Ryder Cup team.
With the form he was in, he would have been a huge asset at Hazeltine, but he just left it a little too late unfortunately. Alex might not have made his Ryder Cup debut, but four wins since July is a magnificent season - a significant achievement for a man who had serious wrist and hand injuries in 2014 that looked likely to end his career.
He must have been so frustrated at being on the sidelines for so long, but he's made up for that in a big way. Alex is one of the nicest guys out there, and I'm so pleased for him. Alex ended up third on the Race to Dubai, one place ahead of Tyrrell Hatton, who was one of the most exciting players to watch over the season.
Tyrrell's game is based around aggression and intensity and I really like his style. He's a seriously good golfer, and to break through in the manner that he did at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was superb.
He couldn't quite close it out in Dubai after leading for so long, but he's had a fantastic year and I look forward to seeing him and Fitzpatrick flying the flag for English golf on the European Tour in 2017.
Tyrrell also enjoyed two excellent major performances, fifth at The Open and 10th at the PGA Championship, and overall he had 10 top-10 finishes in his 24 starts during the season.
He struggled in the past for being a little too hot-headed, but he's learned to curb his natural, attacking instincts and he's become one of the best players in Europe. He's still got that raw passion and you can see he's combustible, but Tyrrell can keep a lid on it now and he's been rewarded.
As for Rory McIlroy, he has still had a pretty good year despite a couple of disappointing weeks in the majors. He won the FedExCup for the first time, and his late-season form has taken him back to second in the world rankings.
Rory remains one of a handful of players who can compete on both sides of the Atlantic, and although he's had a few downturns in 2016, he is currently on an upward curve and regaining that world No 1 spot cannot be too far away.
Upgrade to Sky Sports now and get 12 months half price. Hurry, offer ends December 4!