Masters champion Rory McIlroy has clinched his sixth Golf Writers Trophy
Ian Parker, Press Association
Press AssociationToday at 10:21
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will compete for this year’s Sports Personality of the Year as the BBC officially confirmed the shortlist.
McIlroy’s inclusion on the list is not a surprise after a standout year in which the 36-year-old enjoyed two great victories.
At the Masters, he emerged from a dramatic play-off against Justin Rose to become only the sixth man to complete a grand slam of golf’s four majors. Then at the Ryder Cup he contributed three and a half points to Europe’s dramatic victory over the USA.
Meanwhile, England team-mates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another on the shortlist that also includes Lando Norris, Luke Littler and Ellie Kildunne.
Kelly and Hampton were at the centre of England’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Spain in the Euro 2025 final, with Kelly scoring the winning spot-kick after Hampton had made two critical saves.
For Kelly, it came after a difficult period personally, but after leaving Manchester City for Arsenal within months she was a European champion and Champions League winner. Hampton’s heroics saw the Chelsea stopper win the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best female goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or awards.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy has clinched his sixth Golf Writers Trophy
Rory McIlroy shares special moment with daughter Poppy after Irish Open win
Newly-crowned Formula One world champion Norris, the 11th Briton to take the title, has driven his way on to the list after edging out Max Verstappen and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in a tense end to the season that saw the closest finish to an F1 season for 15 years.
Littler started the year by becoming the youngest world champion in darts history still only 17, and went on to become only the fifth player ever to complete the PDC Triple Crown with the world championship, Premier League and Matchplay titles, rising to number one in the rankings.
Kildunne scored five tries as England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup this summer. Although she missed the quarter-final with concussion, Kildunne scored two tries in the semi-final win over France, and then added another in the final over Canada, having already helped seal Six Nations glory.
The Sports Personality of the Year will be awarded at a ceremony in Salford on December 18, with viewers able to vote live during the show.
