Henrik Stenson wins Golf Writers Trophy for the second time

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.

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.”