McIlroy wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year after Masters, Ryder Cup victories

SALFORD, England (AP) — Rory McIlroy was voted as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Thursday, capping a year that saw him win the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam and then an away Ryder Cup with Team Europe.

The 36-year-old McIlroy won the public vote for the BBC prize ahead of England’s Women's Rugby World Cup-winning star, Ellie Kildunne, and new Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris.

He is the first golfer to win the award since Nick Faldo in 1989 — the year McIlroy was born.

McIlroy came close to winning the accolade in 2014, losing out to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton despite capturing the British Open and PGA Championship titles that year.

His win at Augusta National in April, in a playoff against Justin Rose, was his first major title since then and meant he became the sixth male golfer to complete the Grand Slam.

This year, McIlroy also won The Players Championship, his home Irish Open and a fourth straight Race to Dubai title, which crowned him as the year’s No. 1 player on the European tour.

However, his other biggest victory came in a team event when he contributed 3 1/2 points for Europe in its win over the United States in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. It was Europe's first away win in 13 years.

McIlroy attended the BBC ceremony in Salford and said on stage: “2025 has been the year that I made my dreams come true.

“From Augusta to the Ryder Cup and everything else in between, it really has been the year that dreams are made of."