Two years ago, McIlroy did not attend the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony – despite being nominated for the main prize
Rory McIlroy still thinks about his Masters triumph(Image: Richard Heathcote, Getty Images)
Despite some struggle in recent months, it’s been a magical season for Rory McIlroy as the Holywood golfer finally landed the elusive Masters title in April. That triumph meant McIlroy completed the set of all four of golf’s majors – becoming only the sixth player in history to do so.
The Northern Ireland hero won the U.S. Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014, finally adding the Masters in a playoff in 2025 to complete the prestigious feat. He joined an elite group of only five other male golfers who have achieved the Career Grand Slam: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.
After the emotional success, McIlroy was immediately installed as the hot favourite for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. However, England’s Euro 2025 triumph appears to have changed all that. The latest predictions have revealed that McIlroy now ranks in second place.
The team at OLBG have shared the latest Sports Personality of the Year Award predictions, and following her sparkling performances at the 2025 Women’s Euros, Chloe Kelly is the favourite to win with an implied probability of 47.6%. McIlroy is at 35%.
The last four years have seen four female winners of BBC Sports Personality, including two of Chloe Kelly’s former Lionesses teammates. Kelly became the poster girl for the team’s victory after match-changing performances off the bench in both the final and semi-final.
English goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is looking to be the second England goalkeeper to win Sports Personality in recent years, following Mary Earps’ triumph; however, she is currently long odds to do so.
One factor to McIlroy’s advantage is the upcoming Ryder Cup. If he could add that title at Bethpage Black near New York to his 2025 successes, momentum could well swing his way again.
However, in 2023, McIlroy did not attend the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony – despite being nominated for the main prize on the night.
Rory McIlroy at the TOUR Championship 2025 at East Lake Golf Club(Image: Getty Images)
The Holywood ace was nominated after winning the DP Tour’s Race to Dubai for a fifth time and helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Rome. He decided against attending the ceremony and was the only nominee who did not speak to the BBC on the night.
Only two golfers have ever been named as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Dai Rees won the award in 1957 after captaining Great Britain (which became the European team in 1979) to glory at the Ryder Cup – ending a 24-year wait for victory.
Nick Faldo was the most recent golfer to win the prestigious prize. He picked up the award in 1989 after winning the Masters, the first of his six major titles. Faldo won the Masters and Open the following year but, remarkably, didn’t even make the top three.
As for McIlroy, he finished second in the vote in 2014 behind Lewis Hamilton – despite winning the Ryder Cup, Open and US PGA.
