Just as actors have the Oscars and musicians have the Grammys, British sportsmen and women have the SPOTYs – i.e. the Sports Personality of the Year awards, presented by another acronym, the BBC (i.e. the British Broadcasting Corporation). Think of the ESPYs for British citizens or residents, but with four more decades of history. There are seven categories – best team, coach, junior athlete, etc. – but the biggest honor of the night is the SPOTY itself, which is decided by popular vote.
The first SPOTY, in 1954, was won by Christopher Chataway, a long- and middle-distance runner who broke the world record at 5,000 meters that year; the most recent SPOTY, a year ago, was won by Keely Hodgkinson, also a runner, who won Olympic gold in the 800 meters at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
Outstanding athletes in athletics have won the award 19 times; Next on the list are Formula 1 racers with eight wins, followed by tennis and football stars with seven titles each.
Only two golfers have claimed the honor: Dai Rees in 1957, when he captained the Great Britain and Ireland Ryder Cup team to victory over the Americans, and Nick Faldo in 1989, when he won the Masters and three times on the European Tour. In 2016, when Englishman Danny Willett stunned the golf world and won the Masters, he finished last among 16 SPOTY finalists, earning a paltry 0.3% of the vote. When Georgia Hall of Dorset, England, won the Open Championship two years later, she didn’t even make the ballot. Ditto Matt Fitzpatrick (proud of Sheffield!) in the wake of his 2022 US Open victory. This perceived snub prompted Englishman Ian Poulter to tweet his disdain for the SPOTYs, calling the organisation’s “complete disregard” for Fitzpatrick’s performance a “farce and joke”.
And then there’s Rory McIlroy, who, yes, has had a few banner years himself.
In 2014, McIlroy won the PGA Championship and the Open Championship – and these words of praise from Jack Nicklaus: “I think Rory has a chance to win 15 or 20 majors or whatever he wants to do if he wants to keep playing.” Sadly, British sports fans felt McIlroy was still not worthy of SPOTY glory, despite being the bookmakers’ 6-1 favorite to triumph. Instead, it was F1 racer Lewis Hamilton’s night. When Hamilton accepted the award, he had a message for McIlroy: “I really didn’t expect this because dude, you’ve had such an incredible year.”
If McIlroy took second place with ease, his colleagues did not. “Ridiculous,” Poulter tweeted. Commented Luke Donald, also on X: “Lots of angry people on my timeline.”
McIlroy was shortlisted for a SPOTY again in 2023 (after a season that saw him win twice, finish in the top 7 three times in the majors and go 4-1 in the European Ryder Cup romp), but caused some controversy when he chose not to attend the ceremony or comment via video. “Every time I saw the results, I forgot I was nominated,” McIlroy said in early 2025. “So so often I think about it. It’s a popularity contest. It’s not what it once was.”
And in 2025?
Yes, McIlroy, no surprise in the wake of his monster year, is a finalist again. Pebble winner. Players winners. Masters winner. Career Grand Slam Champion. Highlighted by titles at the Irish Open, Ryder Cup and DP World Tour Championship. Dream things. Legendary stuff. But enough for a SPOTY?
That will be decided on Thursday during the awards ceremony in a beautiful room near Manchester, England. McIlroy said British golf writer James Corrigan that he plans to attend this time, saying: “I’ll have a better chance of winning if I’m actually there, and I recognize that with the crowd the show draws it could only be good for the game.” With a sly grin, he added: “I guess if I don’t win it this time, I never will.”
His competition: English footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly; rugby star Ellie Kiltun; darts player Luke Littler; and F1 driver Lando Norris.
McIlroy is the betting favorite, but is the smart money on him?
#Rory #McIlroys #complicated #popularity #contest