Despite historic success in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to a tax review blocking his knighthood.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who is also from England. However, all three golfers were overlooked this year. McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam as the first European to win the Masters in 2025. He also excelled at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Still, 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) before being presented to the Prime Minister and monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened, similar to a prior case involving footballer David Beckham, who also 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 renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013 that were considered legitimate tax reliefs and recognized as such by the authorities. Later, HMRC ruled these projects as tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” scheme to deliberately dodge taxes. So far, there is no evidence suggesting that McIlroy deliberately evaded tax payments.
Since HMRC plays a role in decisions regarding knighthoods, such suspicions or ongoing reviews can lead to denial of such honours. Neither McIlroy nor the British government have commented on this matter yet.