Despite historic 2025 achievements, Rory McIlroy is missing from the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC review appears to block his knighthood for now.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who is 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 shined at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near the “Big Apple”.
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’s tax authority, before submission to the Prime Minister and monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened in a similar fashion as when footballer David Beckham had to wait several years for his knighthood due to tax issues.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Tax Payments?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013 that were considered legal tax reliefs and initially accepted by authorities. Later, HMRC decided these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the projects exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately circumvent tax payments. However, there is currently no evidence that McIlroy intended to evade taxes.
Because HMRC plays a role in decisions regarding knighthoods, such an investigation can lead to a rejection. Neither the Northern Irish player nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.