Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to a tax authority review.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, also from England, as a favorite to receive a knighthood from King Charles III. However, all three golfers were omitted this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European to do so. Additionally, at the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 36-year-old excelled with Team Europe, securing their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near the “Big Apple.”
Still, McIlroy’s name did not appear 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), the UK’s tax authority, before submission to the Prime Minister and the Monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, the HMRC reportedly intervened, similarly to the delay experienced by footballer David Beckham before his knighthood.
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 relief and recognized as such by authorities. Later, HMRC determined these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the so-called “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program was exploited to deliberately evade taxes. At present, there is no evidence McIlroy intentionally sought to avoid tax payments.
However, because HMRC plays a role in knighthood decisions, such suspicion or ongoing investigations can lead to a denial of the honor. Neither the Northern Irish golfer nor the British government has commented on the matter so far.