Whispers of a boycott have followed Rory McIlroy all week, turning the build-up to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) 2025 into a drama. BBC Sport shortlisted the Northern Irishman in 2023, too. He had won twice, achieved three top-7 major finishes, and recorded a 4-1 score in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory. However, he skipped the ceremony entirely. This has made some fans wonder if he will do the same this year and boycott the BBC SPOTY 2025.

While the 2025 Masters champion didn’t attend the BBC SPOTY 2023, he has already confirmed his presence for the 2025 ceremony on December 18, 2025, at Salford. “Yeah, 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,” Rory McIlroy told The Telegraph.

Tommy Fleetwood will also join him. He will be representing Team Europe for the Team of the Year award for their victory at Bethpage Black.

The BBC Sport broadcast drew numerous users in 2025. As the official website states, around 16 million unique users used the BBC Sport website and app to stay current with sports news. So McIlroy is right to say that being present at the ceremony can certainly bring in more people to watch golf. However, the problem is that BBC Sport does not broadcast golf, which is also one of the reasons many believe that McIlroy might not win the BBC SPOTY 2025.

Historically, only two golfers have won the BBC SPOTY award, and it was way back in the 1900s. Dai Rees did it in 1957, while Sir Nick Faldo received the award in 1989. McIlroy has been nominated multiple times, but has never won. The closest he came was in 2014. He ended as the runner-up, behind the Formula 1 ace Lewis Hamilton. In his acceptance speech, Hamilton himself admitted that he was expecting the 29x PGA Tour winner to win it. “I really wasn’t expecting it, because, dude [McIlroy], you had such an incredible year.”

Many had called out the BBC SPOTY for this injustice to golfers. McIlroy also said that the ceremony is not the same anymore. “So that’s how much I think about it. It’s a popularity contest. It’s not what it once was,” the Northern Irishman said.

Besides McIlroy, Luke Donald also said that it’s just for popularity nowadays. He said that when he was shortlisted, BBC Sport had a whole skit planned for him, which he felt was a bit demeaning. Matt Fitzpatrick even declined their invitation before they left him out of the shortlist. English golfer Ian Poulter also said that “SPOTY is a joke.”

McIlroy still wants to go to the ceremony, hoping it will help the game overall. But he also believes that it might be his last chance to win. Notably, there are high hopes because he is the betting favorite to win the award. Fans believe this, too.

An X user wrote that it shouldn’t be anyone else. If someone other than Rory McIlroy wins the game, it would be just for effect, and the game’s gone. The Telegraph’s James Corrigan replied to an X post, which included a podcast link. After listening to the podcast, Corrigan said that it is unbelievable that none of the speakers picked McIlroy as their SPOTY winner.

It’s not just X users; analysts and golf professionals are also backing the 5x major champion to win this year. Piers Morgan said that BBC SPOTY would lose all credibility if McIlroy did not win. The 1995 Ryder Cup-winning captain Bernard Gallacher and football writer and broadcaster Henry Winter also joined the list of people who are supporting Rory McIlroy. But it won’t be that easy because the 2025 Irish Open winner faces tough competition.

Rory McIlroy faces tough competition at BBC SPOTY 2025

Earlier this year, Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters to complete his Career Grand Slam. He also helped the European team to an away Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black. There’s also the 7th Race to Dubai title he won at the end of the DP World Tour schedule. These amazing achievements throughout the year make him a betting favorite. However, he faces tough competition, especially from Lando Norris.

Lando Norris recently became a world champion after his dramatic win at Abu Dhabi. Although the Northern Irishman has achieved much more, recency plays a big role here. Additionally, the past hints that F1 drivers are usually given more preference at the BBC SPOTY. That’s what happened in 2014, too, when Hamilton won the award, and McIlroy was second.

Besides Norris, there are the footballers Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton. Four of the last BBC SPOTY winners are women, and two of them were footballers. This gives a huge boost to both Kelly and Hampton. There’s also Ellie Kildunne, who helped with the Women’s Rugby World Cup success, and Luke Litter, the young prodigy who dominates the game of darts.

While Rory McIlroy has better betting odds, BBC SPOTY’s history hints at low chances of him winning.