McIlroy’s omission from honours list questioned

Saturday, 3 January 2026 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Rory McIlroy

Questions are being asked about why the King’s New Year Honours list did not recognise the achievements of Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy.

The 36-year-old completed a career Grand Slam in the sport by winning the Masters in April and led Team Europe to a memorable Ryder Cup success against their American hosts in September.

When McIlroy won a dramatic play-off to add the Masters to his Open, US Open, and US PGA Championship triumphs, there were calls for him to be knighted.

At the time, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: “This universally popular figure deserves the highest praise the nation can bestow, and a knighthood is just that.”

However, McIlroy did not feature in the list of honours released on Monday evening, despite being nominated by Stormont for recognition as reported by the Press Association.

Holywood-born McIlroy was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2012 after winning his first major championship at the US PGA.

He became the first European to win all four major tournaments, known as a golfing Grand Slam, during a remarkable 12 months.

McIlroy also delighted his home crowd by winning the Irish Open, with further success at the Players Championship, before topping off a stellar year with a seventh Race to Dubai title.

He was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2025 and won the equivalent award from the Irish broadcaster RTÉ.