Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is missing from the New Year’s Honours List, reportedly due to an HMRC review.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood from King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who is also from England. 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. He also shined at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name was not among the 1157 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 British tax authority, before being submitted to the Prime Minister and monarch. According to a report from the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened in a manner similar to the previous knighthood of footballer David Beckham, who had to wait several years due to tax-related scrutiny.
Did Rory McIlroy Deliberately Avoid Taxes?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was reportedly involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax reliefs and classified as such by authorities at the time. Later, HMRC determined these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the programs exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” to intentionally evade tax payments. However, there is no current indication that McIlroy intended to avoid taxes deliberately.
Since HMRC plays a role in deciding knighthood awards, such suspicions or ongoing investigations can lead to refusal. Neither McIlroy nor the UK government has commented on the matter so far.