Rory McIlroy wins SPOTY award after historic Masters triumph
The Northern Irish golfer finally completed his career Grand Slam in 2025 and led the European team to a Ryder Cup victory.
Rory McIlroy has been named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) for 2025, crowning a career year for the Northern Irish golfer.
The SPOTY award brings together all athletes and sportspeople - both male and female - from the United Kingdom and is considered one of the country’s most illustrious individual awards. McIlroy becomes the third golfer to win the award, following Dai Rees in 1957 and Nick Faldo in 1989.
“Wow,” McIlroy said, accepting the award in a ceremony on Thursday night. “First of all, I would like to congratulate all of the other finalists. I know how much hard work and dedication it takes, so it is a pleasure to just be in this room. I feel truly honoured to just be a part of it.
McIlroy enjoyed a historic 2025, finally clinching the one prize that had always eluded him. The 36-year-old completed a career Grand Slam with a dramatic victory at the Masters at Augusta National, becoming only the sixth male to win all four major competitions.
He also played in a key role in a Ryder Cup triumph for the European team, the first to win in the United States since 2012. McIlroy also recorded successes at the Irish Open, Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, ending the year with a seventh Race to Dubai title.
Speaking at the SPOTY ceremony, McIlroy said: “2025 has been the year I made my dreams come true. From Augusta to the Ryder Cup and everything in between. It’s the year dreams are made of.”
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