Rory McIlroy has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025 after clinching the career Grand Slam and playing a key role in Europe’s Ryder Cup win.
McIlroy from Northern Ireland achieved the golfing lead in April when he won the Masters at Augusta National to complete the set of all four majors.
The 36-year-old golfer became the sixth man to achieve the Grand Slam and the first European to achieve the Slam, joining Americans Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods, and South Africa’s Gary Player in accomplishing the feat,reports BBC.
After winning the US Open and the PGA Championship by 2014, the golfer had to wait another 11 years to make his ‘dreams come true,’ and he then played a key role in Europe’s first Ryder Cup win in the United States since 2012, contributing three and a half points to his team’s triumph.
McIlroy also delighted his home crowd by winning the Irish Open for a second time, with further successes at the Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, before topping off a stellar year with his seventh Race to Dubai title.
After receiving the award, McIlroy said, “Wow”…“First of all, I would like to congratulate all of the other finalists. I know how much hard work and dedication it takes, so it is a pleasure to just be in this room. I feel truly honored to just be a part of it.”
“2025 has been the year I made my dreams come true, from Augusta to the Ryder Cup and everything in between—it’s the year dreams are made of,” He added
Just minutes before collecting his individual award, McIlroy – along with Tommy Fleetwood – collected the Team of the Year 2025 award after Team Europe was honored for their Ryder Cup success.
McIlroy is just the third golfer to win Sports Personality, after Dai Rees in 1957 and Nick Faldo in 1989.
“I have a lot of people to thank,” said McIlroy,”Firstly, the public, my family, my mum and my dad. They sacrificed so much for me. I wouldn’t be here without them, so thank you” and “My wife Erica and my daughter Poppy, are those who hold me together. My rock. I love you.”
“And to the BBC for hosting these awards,it has always been something that I had watched on TV growing up.”
“It was always a big part of the run-up to Christmas, so I am very honored to get my hands on this trophy and Hopefully I can challenge to get it again next year.”
Rory McIlroy early career and Family
Rory McIlroy was born on May 1989 in Hollywood, County Down Northern Ireland .He was the only child from his family who went to ST Patrick’s,a Catholic primary.
McIlroy’s father was also a golfer and he was introduced to golf at a young age by his father and received a set of plastic clubs when he was 2 years old.
At age 7, McIlroy became Holywood Golf Club’s youngest-ever member and dreamed of becoming a professional golfer.
Aged nine, McIlroy had his first international amateur tournament victory, at the U10 World Championship held at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami,Florida.
He turned professional golfer in September 2007 and entered top 200 of the Official World Golf Ranking OWGR for the first time in 2008.
Year 2025 remember him for two major titles, ‘The Players Championship’ and ‘Masters Tournament.’
McIlroy married former PGA of America employee Erica Stoll in 2017 and the couple is having a beautiful daughter.
Rory McIlroy Net Worth
After winning the Irish Open, McIlroy won $1.02 million, earlier this year, the Sunday Times Rich List reported that McIlroy has a net worth of £260m (€300m).
Meanwhile, Forbes also estimates his annual earnings at $80.8 million.
McIlroy has a long list of lucrative sponsorship deals such as TaylorMade, Nike, NBC sports,Golf Pass,Omega,Optum and Workday and the website Celebrity Net Worth put his fortune around $250 mark.
Over the course of his 15 years on the PGA Tour,MCIlroy has made winnings of $86.8m putting him third on the tour’s career money list behind Woods ($121m) and Phil Mickelson ($96.7m).
This staggering amount makes him the 13th richest person under the age of 40 in the UK, with his earnings from golf alone believed to be in the region of £140 million.
