Rory McIlroy won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after a sensational 2025 where he completed the career grand slam and helped Europe win the Ryder Cup
Rory McIlroy has made it clear he’s far from finished chasing silverware, despite his Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood suggesting the Northern Irishman had “completed golf” in 2025.
The 36 year old’s triumph at the Masters in April saw him complete a career grand slam, becoming the first European golfer to achieve the feat. He then played a crucial role alongside Fleetwood in helping Europe secure their first away Ryder Cup victory in 13 years.
These remarkable achievements propelled McIlroy to favourite status for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, and he ultimately beat England’s Rugby World Cup sensation Ellie Kildunne and new Formula One world champion Lando Norris in Thursday’s public vote.
McIlroy was just a baby when Sir Nick Faldo became the last golfer to claim the BBC’s prestigious individual honour back in 1989. The evening was rounded off perfectly when the Ryder Cup squad collected the Team of the Year prize, which was also determined by public vote for the first time.
Having flown into the UK from Florida in the early hours of Thursday morning, McIlroy is set to jet back on Friday to catch the Anthony Joshua-Jake Paul fight.
Following the BBC ceremony, he and Fleetwood conducted joint media interviews, with Fleetwood acknowledging that McIlroy had “kind of completed golf” after his stellar 2025 campaign.
However, the five-time major winner is adamant he won’t be taking his foot off the pedal, with fresh targets on the horizon for 2026, including Colin Montgomerie’s record tally of eight DP World Tour Order of Merit titles. When asked whether matching the record was something he could achieve, McIlroy responded: “Not if this man (Fleetwood) has anything to say about it.
“But I’d love to give that a go. I still feel like I’ve got a few good years in me. Knock on wood, I’ve been injury-free. I’m 36. I’ve been on tour for half my life, 18 years, but still feel the enthusiasm for the game.
“Majors, Order of Merit titles, more Ryder Cups – all that’s great. But as long as you feel like you can keep improving at the game, and have the hunger and the drive to try to keep getting better, that’s the most important thing.”
The golfer was thrilled to witness the sport receive dual recognition at the ceremony, following a 36-year drought for an individual honour winner.
“This has been a great night for golf in general. There have been golfers that have been up for this award that haven’t quite done it, and I’ve been one of them in the past,” he explained.
“But I just think that tonight golf was recognised in such a big way with the team winning and then with my award.”
McIlroy previously lost out to Sir Lewis Hamilton for the BBC accolade in 2014, despite claiming two majors that season, and confessed to a brief moment of anxiety when Norris secured a spot in the final three.
“I was like ‘oh, not an F1 driver again!,” he remarked.
“If Lando had won he would have been a deserving winner, winning his first title, it coming down to the wire against Max Verstappen, who is arguably the greatest driver of their generation.
“So he would have been a deserving winner. What he’s done this year is phenomenal. But I’m glad that the public got out and voted for me.”
