Tuesday 13 December 2016 13:03, UK
From major victory to Race to Dubai success, we look at how Henrik Stenson ended 2016 as the European Tour's Golfer of the Year.
The 40-year-old came in to the year off the back of a winless 2015 and having undergone keyhole surgery on a troublesome right knee.
Stenson battled through the pain to post a tied-fourth finish at the season-opening Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, before skipping the Qatar Masters to rest his knee ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic.
The Swede then travelled Stateside to play in the WGC-Cadillac Championship and a series of PGA Tour events prior to the Masters, where he finished 11 strokes adrift of winner Danny Willett.
Stenson did not compete on the European Tour again until a share of fourth at June's Nordea Masters in his native Sweden, before withdrawing mid-round during the US Open when he appeared destined to miss the cut.
Fortunes improved a week later, as Stenson secured a first worldwide victory in 18 months with a three-shot win at the BMW International Open in Germany.
A tied-13th at the Scottish Open was followed by a maiden major triumph the following week at Royal Troon, where Stenson produced a record-breaking display to see off Phil Mickelson.
Stenson took a one-shot lead into the final round, where he struck 10 birdies on his way to equalling the lowest round in major history and claiming a three-shot victory.
The Claret Jug holder's form continued with a share of seventh spot at the PGA Championship, before Stenson narrowly missed out on Olympic gold in Rio after a final-round tussle with Justin Rose.
A re-tear of the right knee saw Stenson fail to qualify for the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship, giving the Swede more time to recover for the Ryder Cup.
Stenson played all five matches for Darren Clarke's side, where victory in the Friday fourballs alongside Justin Rose and a Sunday singles triumph over Jordan Spieth was not enough to stop Europe falling to a 17-11 defeat at Hazeltine.
Ending the week at the WGC-HSBC Champions as joint runner-up lifted Stenson above Willett in the Race to Dubai standings, where he would stay throughout the Final Series to end the campaign as European No 1.
Eighth spot at the Nedbank Golf Challenge extended his advantage heading in to the DP World Tour Championship, an event Stenson has already won twice, where a share of ninth secured a second Order of Merit crown.
"It's been a great year, the best year of my career," Stenson said at the end of the 2016 campaign. "I've always thought it was going to be hard to top 2013, but I think I've done that this year."
