Rory McIlroy became the first golfer to win back-to-back green jackets at The Masters since 2002 on Sunday, April 12, but the native of Northern Ireland is still waiting to receive the ultimate honor.
After he was snubbed last year, fans are again calling for McIlroy, 36, to be knighted after he held off Scottie Scheffler to successfully defend his title at Augusta National.
McIlroy, who in 2025 became the first European player to win all four of golf’s majors, was denied knighthood last year after intervention from tax officials, according to the Daily Telegraph.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will not intervene in the decision and will leave such matters to the UK’s Honours Committee.
“We never comment on honours, and that is a question for the committee not for me,” Starmer, 63, told reporters through a spokesperson, according to the Telegraph. “But, clearly, it’s a fantastic result for Rory McIlroy, tremendous achievement and a huge, huge achievement to have done it in successive years.”
Honours committees are made up of senior civil servants and independent government officials who determine those deserving of recognition in a variety of fields, including sport, science and technology, public service and education.
Twice per year, committee members submit recommendations to the monarchy for special honors including knighthood and the Order of the British Empire.
McIlroy has opened up in the past about the possibility of being knighted, telling Sky Sports in November 2025 that, “If that were ever to happen it would be an unbelievably massive honour.”
It’s a tradition at the Masters that players sign the iconic yellow flags emblazoned with the tournament logo — but only the champion signs their name inside the outline of the United States that appears in the center. Rory McIlroy has been waiting a while to be able to do that, and he’s taking every […]
“That’s obviously up to people a lot more powerful and important than me,” he said. “But, I mean, if it were to happen one day, it would be a very proud moment in my life.”
Despite speculation, the nature of his possible tax issues — if there are any — have not been confirmed. In 2015, the UK’s revenue and customs department investigated McIlroy into investments he made that could have been a tax avoidance scheme.
Those investments were into a program meant to revitalize parts of Liverpool, Birmingham and Sheffield, which would allow investors to claim up to 100 percent tax relief. Nothing illegal was ever uncovered and no evidence has emerged that McIlroy was trying to avoid paying taxes.
The Telegraph reports that one government source compared McIlroy’s snub to that of David Beckham, whose knighthood was blocked for years after a “red flag” was placed on his nomination due to his alleged role in a tax avoidance scheme.
Beckham, 50, was finally knighted in November 2025.
Though McIlroy is still waiting to receive the honor, the UK government has not ignored his historic win entirely. The Royal Family posted a congratulatory message to him via X on Monday, April 13.
“Congratulations Rory McIlroy on your extraordinary back-to-back win at the Masters,” the post read.
