 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - OSullivan akatanga mwaka wa2016 17 kunonoka, kuShanghai Masters. Mumutambo wekutanga, akakunda Liang Wenbo 54 mushure mekupora kubva pa14 pasi. Wakanga uri mutambo wake wokutanga womutambo wenyanzvi mumwedzi mishanu. Zvisinei, uku ndiko kwaakafambira mberi, sezvo mumutambo wechipiri akarasikirwa ne 25 kuna Michael Holt. Achikwikwidza mumutambo wekutanga weEuropean Masters, OSullivan akakunda David Gilbert 41 mumutambo wekutanga, Mark Allen 42 mumutambo wechipiri, Mark Davis 41 mumakwikwi ekupedzisira uye akabva arova Neil Robertson 60 mumutambo we semi-final. Achitarisana naJudd Trump mumutambo wokupedzisira, OSullivan akatungamira 5-3 mushure memutambo wokutanga. Muchikamu chechipiri, OSullivan akaenderera mberi achitungamirira 86 asati azorasikirwa 89. Mumutambo wokutanga weHome Nations series, paEnglish Open yokutanga, OSullivan akakunda Jimmy Robertson 40 mumutambo wekutanga, Zhao Xintong 43 mumutambo wechipiri, asi akabva arasikirwa naChris Wakelin mumutambo wechitatu ne 34. PaInternational Championship, OSullivan akarova Xiao Guodong 64 mumutambo wekutanga uye Kurt Maflin 64 mumutambo wechipiri kuti asvike kumakwikwi gumi nematanhatu ekupedzisira. Zvisinei, akabva akundwa naMichael Holt 46, zvichiita kuti uku kuve kurasikirwa kwechitatu kwakateedzana kuna Holt muna 2016. 