Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List. An HMRC tax review is said to block his knighthood for now.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III along with Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England. However, all three missed out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European ever to do so. At the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 36-year-old also shone with Team Europe, securing their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name was not on the list of 1,157 honorees in 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 reportedly intervened, similar to when footballer David Beckham had to wait years before his knighthood due to tax issues.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax reliefs and were initially accepted by authorities. Later, HMRC decided these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they misused the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to deliberately evade taxes. However, there is currently no evidence McIlroy intended to avoid paying taxes.
Since the HMRC also has a say in knighthood decisions, any suspicion or investigation can lead to denial. Neither McIlroy nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.