Despite historic 2025 successes, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List due to an ongoing HMRC investigation.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a favorite for a knighthood by King Charles III alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald from England. However, none of these golfers were honored this year. In 2025, McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, becoming the first European to do so. 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.
Nonetheless, McIlroy’s name was absent from the New Year’s Honours List, which is reviewed first 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 the monarch. According to a report by the British Telegraph, HMRC intervened in the process, similar to a past case involving footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years for his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Tax Payments?
Recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, McIlroy was involved in urban regeneration projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013, which were initially regarded as legal tax relief schemes by the authorities. Later, HMRC classified these projects as tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to deliberately evade taxes. However, there is no evidence at present that McIlroy intended to avoid taxes.
Since HMRC has a say in knighthood decisions, such an investigation or suspicion can lead to refusal of the honor. Neither McIlroy nor the British government has commented on this matter so far.