Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List. An HMRC tax inquiry is said to be blocking his knighthood.
North Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a frontrunner for knighthood from King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who is also English. However, all three golfers missed out this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European to do so. Additionally, the 36-year-old shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, securing the first away victory for Team Europe since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was not listed among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is initially reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) before being submitted to the Prime Minister and Monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened in a manner similar to when footballer David Beckham had to wait years for a knighthood due to taxation issues.
Did Rory McIlroy Deliberately Avoid Tax Payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax reliefs at the time. Later, HMRC ruled that these projects constituted tax avoidance and are currently investigating whether McIlroy exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to intentionally evade taxes. However, there is currently no evidence that McIlroy intended to avoid tax payments.
Since HMRC also plays a role in knighthood decisions, such suspicions or ongoing investigations can result in denial of such honors. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have commented on the investigation to date.