Open champion and Olympic silver medallist Henrik Stenson has won the Golf Writers Trophy for a second time.
The Swede, who claimed his first major at Royal Troon in July after an epic final-day battle with multiple major winner Phil Micklelson, won an overwhelming majority of votes from members of the Association of Golf Writers to claim the accolade, which recognises the person or persons, born or resident in Europe, to have made the year's most outstanding contribution to golf.
"I'll never grow tied of being weighed down with trophies."
Stenson faced competition from Masters winner Danny Willett, who also picked up his first major, Olympic champion Justin Rose and Alex Noren, who collected four European Tour titles in 2016.
However, the 40-year-old Swede, who also won the BMW International Open, had 11 other top-10 finishes and won the European Tour's Race to Dubai for the second time, was the stand-out winner.
"It is always a great honour to receive the Association's award," said Stenson, who first won the award in 2013.
"We talk about receiving recognition from your colleagues and your peers but in this instance it's great to be receiving that recognition from some of the most knowledgeable media in the sport.
"So it's wonderful to be chosen as their Golf Writers Association Trophy winner and I feel very honoured to win the award for a second time in my career.
"The manner I went about this year was very pleasing from start to finish.
"It's been a great year for European golf and the European Tour and even though we didn't bring back the Ryder Cup, I look back knowing that winning the Open helped so much in winning the Race to Dubai.
"And while Danny has to be congratulated for winning the Masters, I again have to thank the Association of Golf Writers in voting me as their Golfer of the Year.
"I'll never grow tied of being weighed down with trophies."
Stenson was also named the 2016 European Tour Golfer of the Year.
"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."
