Ever since the BBC started to give up more and more of its live golf coverage, its Sports Personality of the Year award has become increasingly less relevant to golf fans.
The sport has seemingly been ignored in recent years despite some great achievements from British golfers and the grassroots game continuing to thrive post-Covid.
"The plan is to go. I have more chance of winning if I’m actually there and I recognise that with the audience the show attracts it could only be a good thing for the game," he told The Telegraph last month.
"I suppose if I don’t win it this time, I never will."
Rory McIlroy became just the sixth man in history to win all four Majors after triumphing at the 2025 Masters
Every nominee is clearly world class and has done very special things, but nobody has done what Rory McIlroy has done this year.
Call me biased but his achievements this year undoubtedly make him the most esteemed sportsperson of 2025 from these shores and perhaps globally, too.
If I had to predict who wins, I would probably say McIlroy but I couldn't say for sure as many of the voters have likely not watched a single shot all year. Chloe Kelly or Lando Norris, if he wins the F1 driver's crown this weekend, could certainly take the title.
And let's not forget BBC SPOTY's recent, controversial history with golf.
McIlroy knows it all too well after finishing 2nd in 2014 following a year that included wins at The Open, PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, BMW PGA Championship and Ryder Cup.
He was nominated again in 2023 but didn't bother turning up as he knew he had no chance of winning.
In 2016, Danny Willett won The Masters and finished last in the vote with just a 0.3% share.
Two years later, Georgia Hall did not even get nominated after winning the Women's British Open, and to add insult to injury her maiden Major triumph was given just 10 seconds of the entire show.
And in 2022, Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open and remarkably was also not even given a nomination.
Georgia Hall rightfully called out the BBC, writing on Twitter: "Such a shame Golf doesn’t get the recognition it deserved yet again on #SPOTY @BBCSport@MattFitz94 just speechless.”
Justin Rose also questioned the BBC when nominations were unveiled.
So while to many golf fans it may seem like a foregone conclusion that Rory McIlroy should and will be the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year for 2025, it could be a different picture.
If he does win, though, it will be a great moment for the sport in the UK.
McIlroy starred for Ryder Cup Team Europe to win away for the first time since 2012
Golf sadly does not get the recognition in the national media that it deserves in this country but the impact of a golfer winning such an esteemed award and featuring on every newspaper's back page and website homepages cannot be understated.
We would all be very proud, and it could make a big impact in growing McIlroy's stardom to further heights.
In my opinion, McIlroy should be in the same leagues as David Beckham, Andy Murray and other revered sports stars from these shores but for some reason he has still not quite hit those heights.
A SPOTY win would go someway to helping that. Oh and give him a knighthood too!
BBC SPOTY takes place on Thursday December 18 from 7pm GMT at MediaCityUK in Salford.
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