By joining the ultra-exclusive circle of golfers named Sports Personality of the Year, Rory McIlroy capped off a "dream" 2025, a year filled with major championships, the Ryder Cup, and a popular triumph, at an event that also honored the European team.
Rory McIlroy concluded an already historic 2025 by being crowned at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, becoming the first golfer to receive the award since Nick Faldo in 1989 and only the third in history after Dai Rees (1957).
He thus joins "the most exclusive club" in British sport after becoming the sixth player and the first European to win a career major championship at the Masters, and then leading Europe to a legendary Ryder Cup victory on American soil.
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Rory McIlroy, news
Visibly moved on stage, the Northern Irishman paid tribute to his peers and the impressive list of achievements gathered in the room. He then summed up his year with a phrase destined to stick: 2025 has been the year my dreams came true, from Augusta to the Ryder Cup, and everything in between. It truly has been the year dreams come true.
Rory McIlroy also explained how much this BBC award means to him as a British sports enthusiast. I remember, as a child, eagerly awaiting this evening, watching it on television to see who would win; it was always a significant moment in the run-up to Christmas. I am deeply honored to be able to hold the trophy behind me and I hope to be able to fight to win it again next year, he said, his voice breaking with emotion.
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On the same evening, the European Ryder Cup team, victorious in Bethpage, was named Team of the Year, capping off a dream season for the team leader.
As many other athletes in this room know, its an honor to be part of these teams, said Rory McIlroy as he accepted the award for the European team alongside Tommy Fleetwood. We are here as two of the 12 players. We also had the captain, the vice-captain, and the entire team behind the scenes. We couldnt have accomplished what we did without them.
