Despite historic achievements in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC review appears to block the knighthood for now.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a top candidate for a knighthood from King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, also from England. However, none of the three golfers received the honor this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European 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 New York City.
Despite these achievements, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is first checked 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 reportedly intervened, similar to the case of footballer David Beckham who also waited several years before receiving a knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Taxes?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013. These projects were considered legal tax reliefs and were initially recognized as such by authorities. However, HMRC later determined that these may constitute tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether the projects exploited the ‘Business Premises Renovation Allowance’ program to deliberately evade taxes. So far, there is no evidence that McIlroy intended to avoid tax payments deliberately.
Since HMRC plays a role in knighthood decisions, such suspicions or investigations can lead to denial of the honor. Neither the Northern Irish player nor the British government has commented on this matter so far.