Rory McIlroy capped an already historic 2025 by being crowned at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, becoming the first golfer to receive the award since Nick Faldo in 1989 and only the third in history after Dai Rees (1957).
So he joins “the most exclusive club” in British sport after becoming the sixth player – and the first European – to win a career major championship at the Masters, then leading Europe to a legendary Ryder Cup victory on American soil.
Rory McIlroy, news
Visibly moved on stage, the Northern Irishman paid tribute to his colleagues and the impressive list of achievements gathered in the room. He then summed up his year with a sentence that was destined to stick: “2025 has been the year my dreams came true, from Augusta to the Ryder Cup and everything in between. It truly was the year dreams came true.”
Rory McIlroy also explained how much this BBC award means to him as a British sports fan. “I remember as a child eagerly anticipating this evening and watching it on television to see who would win; it was always an important moment in the run-up to Christmas. I am deeply honored to hold the trophy and I hope to be able to compete to win it again next year,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.
On the same evening, the European Ryder Cup team, which triumphed in Bethpage, was named Team of the Year, capping off a dream season for the team leader.
“As many other athletes in this room know, it is an honor to be part of these teams,” said Rory McIlroy as he collected the European team award alongside Tommy Fleetwood. “We are here as two of the 12 players. We also had the captain, the vice-captain and the whole team behind the scenes. Without them we couldn’t have achieved what we did.”
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