Rory McIlroy Odds-On Favorite For BBC SPOTY Award After Making Shortlist

As widely expected, Rory McIlroy has been included on the shortlist for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award - and is favorite with the bookies to lift the trophy.

After an incredible 2025, McIlroy is one of six names shortlisted for the award, along with F1 world champion Lando Norris, footballers Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton, darts world champion Luke Littler and rugby union player Ellie Kildunne.

McIlroy is the odds-on favorite in the betting market to lift the trophy on December 18, and become the first golfer to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year since Sir Nick Falo back in 1989.

He certainly has every reason to be confident after the best year of his career, which included finally winning The Masters to become just the sixth man to complete the career grand slam and also play a leading role in Europe's epic Ryder Cup win in New York.

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McIlroy has had a stunning 2025 with the undoubted highlight being that playoff victory over Justin Rose to finally win that Green Jacket at Augusta National and complete the Green Slam he'd craved.

Any other year, winning an away Ryder Cup for Europe would have topped the list - especially in the most fearsome environment at Bethpage Black, which infamously overstepped the mark a number of times.

Even aside from those two career-defining moments, McIlroy went on to win a seventh Race to Dubai title, overtaking Seve Ballesteros in the process, with the small manner of claiming a second Players Championship at Sawgrass thrown in for good measure.

A victory at the iconic Pebble Beach started the year in style, and with also a stunning home victory at the Irish Open and you could have hardly written a better script - all of which will surely see him win the SPOTY trophy.

A SPOTY breakthrough for golf?

Unlike when he was last nominated in 2023, Rory McIlroy will be at the SPOTY event this time around after confirming his attendance.

"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.

His additional comment of "I suppose if I don’t win it this time, I never will" sums up golf's struggle to get recognition with the SPOTY award over the years.

Only Faldo and Dai Rees, way back in 1957, have won the award with McIlroy missing out on a few occasions - most notably coming second behind Lewis Hamilton in 2014 following two Major wins (The Open and PGA Championship), the BMW PGA Championship and Wentworth and victory in the Ryder Cup.

In 2023 McIlroy was shortlisted again but did not even go to ther awards ceremony as he was resigned to not winning - and he was right as he finished bottom in the voting.

Other examples of golf missing out include Danny Willett finishing bottom of the voting after winning The Masters in 2016, while Matt Fitzpatrick didn't even get nominated after winning the 2022 US Open.

Georgia Hall also missed out on a nomination despite winning the AIG Women's Open, but it seems now that McIlroy is in the driving seat to end golf's SPOTY hoodoo.