Rory McIlroy amongst favourites for BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize - but faces strong competition from England hero
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is currently amongst the firm favourites to seal BBC Sports Personality of the Year glory later this year – but he faces strong competition from England’s Euro 2025 hero Chloe Kelly.
McIlroy has enjoyed another special season with the climax undoubtedly coming when he became only the sixth male player in history to complete a career Grand Slam at Augusta.
That triumph put McIlroy as an early favourite to win his first Sports Personality of the Year crown, but the Lionesses’ dramatic penalty shootout win over Spain last month has seen Kelly move into pole position.
The Arsenal attacker scored the winning goal in England’s semi-final victory against Sweden and then fired home the decisive spot-kick as Sarina Wiegman’s side successfully defended their title.
Despite previously winning four majors, McIlroy has never won the prestigious BBC award – he finished second behind Lewis Hamilton in 2014 and was nominated again in 2023.
However, McIlroy revealed he forgot he was even on the shortlist for the 2023 prize and slammed the ceremony as a “popularity contest”.
"I forgot I was nominated, so that’s how much I think about it,” he said in January 2024. “It’s a popularity contest and I think it’s just not really what it once was.”
The Sports Personality of the Year award was first handed out in 1954 and Northern Irish athletes have previously celebrated success with Dame Mary Peters (1972) reigning supreme after winning Olympic gold in Munich.
Boxer Barry McGuigan (1985) and jockey Tony McCoy (2010) are also previous winners of the prize while George Best, Willie John McBride, Alex Higgins, Darren Clarke, McIlroy and Jonathan Rea have been on the podium.
Rea was the last sportsperson from Northern Ireland to place in the top-three when he finished second in 2017 having won his third consecutive Superbike World Championship.
McIlroy’s case could be further strengthened if he wins an eighth Ryder Cup with Team Europe at Bethpage Black in New York next month.
According to OLBG, the Holywood native is priced as priced as 15/8 second-favourite, giving him a 34.8% chance of winning, while Kelly is the leading contender at 11/10.
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, Lando Norris and Luke Littler are also amongst the potential hopefuls.
Jake Ashton of OLBG said: “With Chloe Kelly spearheading another landmark moment for women’s football, she looks the standout candidate. Rory McIlroy remains in contention, but women’s sport has strong momentum at SPOTY in recent years.”