Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC tax review appears to be delaying his knighthood.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, also from England. However, all three golfers were left out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European ever to do so. He also shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe clinch their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nonetheless, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is first reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the UK tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and the monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to the situation with footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years before receiving his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Deliberately Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban regeneration projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legitimate tax reliefs and were initially approved by authorities. Later, HMRC ruled these projects as tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately avoid tax payments. So far, there is no evidence suggesting McIlroy intentionally tried to evade taxes.
Since HMRC participates in the decisions regarding knighthoods, such suspicion or an ongoing investigation can lead to denial of the honor. Neither the Northern Irish golfer nor the UK government has commented on this matter so far.