Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC investigation is said to block the knighthood for now.
Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, both 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 to do so. He also shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nonetheless, the name “McIlroy” 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) before being submitted to the Prime Minister and the monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, the HMRC apparently intervened, similar to what happened years ago with footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait years for his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax relief initiatives by authorities. Later, however, HMRC decided these projects constituted tax avoidance and are currently investigating whether the projects exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately avoid tax payments. So far, there is no evidence indicating that McIlroy intended to evade taxes.
Since HMRC has a say in knighthood decisions, such suspicions or ongoing investigations can result in rejection. Neither the Northern Irish golfer nor the British government has commented on the matter yet.