Rory McIlroy enjoyed a fine 2023 season, even if his wait for a major title went on, and his performances earned him a BBC Sports Personality of the Year nomination.
PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy claimed he ‘forgot’ he was nominated for the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year award. Golf players tend to be overlooked in the public award, with the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick shunned last year despite winning the 2022 U.S. Open.
McIlroy was included on a shortlist of six contenders, including cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori and wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett. Athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and England goalkeeper Mary Earps were also nominated.
Lionesses star Earps was the recipient of last month’s SPOTY award, with Broad finishing second as he retired after the Ashes. While his agonising wait for another major triumph continued, McIlroy enjoyed a stellar 2023 as he avenged the brutal record defeat at the 2021 Ryder Cup with a talismanic perfromance in Rome as Europe regained the iconic trophy.
McIlroy finished as the top points scorer on either side with four out of five matches won. Europe’s victory also gave the 34-year-old his fifth Ryder Cup triumph to cap off an impressive year, but he failed to win SPOTY.
