Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is not on the New Year’s Honours List. A HMRC review is said to block the knighthood for now.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, both from England, to receive a knighthood from King Charles III. 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. At the 2025 Ryder Cup, the 36-year-old shone with Team Europe, securing their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nonetheless, McIlroy’s name did not appear among the 1,157 honorees on the New Year’s Honours List, which is first reviewed by the Cabinet Office and then by His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC – the UK tax authority) before being presented to the Prime Minister and Monarch. According to a report from the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to when footballer David Beckham had to wait several years for his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Tax Payments?
McIlroy, recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban regeneration projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were considered legal tax relief schemes and officially recognized as such by the authorities. Later, HMRC decided these projects constituted tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether these schemes exploited the ‘Business Premises Renovation Allowance’ to deliberately avoid tax payments. So far, there is no evidence that McIlroy intended to evade taxes.
Since HMRC has a say in knighthood decisions, suspicion or ongoing investigations can lead to refusal of the honor. Neither Rory McIlroy nor the British government have commented on the matter yet.