Rory McIlroy attracted all the eyeballs despite not being physically present at one of the most prestigious sports award ceremonies. The four-time Major winner was one of the six nominees for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. However, despite being around the vicinity some 48 hours earlier and being the only nominee from golf, the Northern Irish golfer chose not to appear for the gala night. Instead, his Ryder Cup teammate, Tommy Fleetwood, came in to save the day for golf.

After winning the Race to Dubai Ranking Title, McIlroy was most recently seen dressing up as an elf in TaylorMade Golf’s Christmas video, which teased the return of the most recognizable Christmas icon for golf fans, Mac Daddy Santa, a.k.a. Tiger Woods. But the Northern Irish ‘elf’ is very likely to be on Santa’s naughty list if the 15x Major winner gets to know about his rebellious act.

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McIlroy’s silent treatment towards BBC

Rory McIlroy cold-shouldered the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Award. In fact, the Northern Irish golfer didn’t turn up on the video link shared by the British media house. Neither the BBC nor McIlroy gave any explanation for his absence.

Notably, British soccer star and Manchester United shot-stopper Mary Earps was crowned the winner, with former English cricketer Stuart Broad coming in second and heptathlete Katarina Mary Johnson-Thompson in third. McIlroy’s absence caught the eye more because other nominees were present either in person or virtually.

In his absence, Tommy Fleetwood was brought in for a video chat. Notably, it was also Fleetwood who was featured in the interview snippets of the nominees for BBC instead of McIlroy himself. Many believe this year, the 4-time major winner’s snub is in response to his second-place finish in 2014, when he lost out to Lewis Hamilton despite winning two majors and the Ryder Cup. However, the reality of it may be different.

Read More: ‘Fact Check’: Rory McIlroy Finds Some Solace After Brutally Getting His Legacy Hammered by Former Ally

Why was the Northern Ireland linksman missing at the ceremony? Was it because he was still hung up on his beloved soccer team Manchester United drawing to Liverpool on Sunday in Anfield—a match he watched in person? Or was it that he was still fulfilling his duties as an ‘elf’ to the golf legend?

Rory McIlroy becomes ‘Elf’ for Mac Daddy Santa

Tiger Woods and TaylorMade decided to spread the joy of Mac Daddy Santa Claus to the world. It’s a Christmas tradition that Woods said his kids love. But now that his kids are grown up, Mac Daddy Santa, a.k.a. Woods has the bigger purpose of overseeing the works of his elves, which includes the second-in-command, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and others.

The Original Equipment Manufacturer released a video of the 15-time Major winner dressed up as Santa Claus. It’s a tradition that Woods’s golf club sponsor has followed since 2019—sending Christmas cards with Woods, McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Tommy Fleetwood appearing in their holiday avatars. But this year, it became more significant given Tiger Woods’ potential rift with Nike. Many believed this was an indication of TaylorMade’s apparel partnership with Tiger Woods.

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