Despite historic successes in 2025, Rory McIlroy is absent from the New Year’s Honours List, with a HMRC review reportedly blocking his knighthood.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was considered a top contender for a 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 ever to do so. He also shone at the 2025 Ryder Cup, helping Team Europe secure their first away victory since 2012 at Bethpage State Park near New York City.
Nevertheless, McIlroy’s name was not listed 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 submitted to the Prime Minister and the monarch. According to a report from The Telegraph, HMRC is said to have intervened, similar to the previous case involving footballer David Beckham, who also had to wait several years before receiving his knighthood.
Did Rory McIlroy Intentionally Avoid Tax Payments?
McIlroy, who was recently named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, was involved in urban renewal projects in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Sheffield in 2013 that were initially considered legal tax reliefs by the authorities. However, HMRC later deemed these projects as tax avoidance and is currently investigating whether they improperly exploited the “Business Premises Renovation Allowance” program to deliberately evade taxes. So far, there is no evidence suggesting McIlroy intended to avoid paying taxes.
Since HMRC plays a decisive role in knighthood decisions, any suspicion or ongoing investigation can lead to rejection. Neither the Northern Irish player nor the British government has commented on this matter to date.