Gleneagles was the highlight of a fantastic year

European golf has never had it so good.

A quick look at the facts of 2014 reveals all. Victories in three of the four Majors, plus the Players’ Championship. The undisputed World No.1 and money winner on both sides of the Atlantic. Three out of four Senior Majors.

And to top it all off, a convincing victory on home soil in the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. The progress made in the last 12 months has been outstanding, and we have the strongest number of world-class players we’ve ever had.

They have all won either Majors or the next best thing, and they are household names here and on the PGA Tour.

Obviously, Rory McIlroy is top of the pile and he’s had a sensational 2014. Winning two Majors, plus the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and having a starring role for Europe in the Ryder Cup Singles makes him extra special.

I just hope Rory doesn’t think he has to match that every year!

He hit countless great shots on his way to winning The Open at Hoylake, but my shot of the year was his second to the 10th in the last round at the US PGA. His 281-yard three wood to seven feet set up an eagle at just the right time for him.

He came from three adrift at the turn to shoot 32 on the last nine and claim a thrilling victory at Valhalla, but it was that shot which spoke volumes. He summoned his best golf when most required. That is an ability that only an elite few possess.

That Sunday also showed he could win Majors in a different way to dominating from the front. It reminded me of Jack Nicklaus and makes Rory even more of a dangerous opponent in the coming years.

If the PGA at Valhalla was the most exciting golf, the biggest spectacle was undoubtedly the Ryder Cup in Scotland. Gleneagles was a fantastic stage and it has raised the bar for all future venues. Everything about the week was perfect the logistics, the weather and the result!

Such is the appeal of the event these days, there have been calls to make it annual rather than every two years. In my view, we have the ideal format because less is more. It makes the Ryder Cup special.

So it’s time for a breather in 2015 and a chance for our European stars to pursue more individual glory.

My undoubted highlight of 2014 was seeing my nephew, Stephen, represent Europe at the Ryder Cup. It was a proud moment for myself, my brother Jim and the entire Gallacher family when Stephen teed off on that Friday morning at Gleneagles.

That had been Stephen’s childhood ambition. He had grown up at Bathgate with pictures of me and Eric Brown in the clubhouse as former players and captains. Bathgate is a working-man’s golf club, and it’s the focal point of the town. To have three of its members play in the Ryder Cup is unprecedented.

With this year’s match being nearby at Gleneagles, Stephen knew this was his big chance. His play throughout the year was exceptional and his quest was one of the stories of the year on the European Tour.

Stephen was a wildcard, but he forced Paul McGinley to pick him. And it’s to his great credit that so many of his fellow pros were delighted to see him make the team.