Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is missing from the New Year’s Honours List. A tax inquiry by HMRC likely delays the knighthood.
Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish golfer, was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who also hails 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 secure their first away win since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near the “Big Apple.”
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was absent from the 1,157 recipients 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 the Monarch. According to a report by the British “Telegraph,” HMRC’s involvement mirrors that of footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years before receiving his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy deliberately avoid tax payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, considered legal tax reliefs and initially recognized as such by authorities. HMRC later ruled these projects amounted to tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the schemes exploited the so-called “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” to deliberately evade taxes. However, there is no indication that McIlroy intentionally sought to avoid tax payments.
Since HMRC plays a role in knighthood decisions, such suspicions or ongoing investigations can lead to a rejection. Neither the Northern Irish player nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.