Rory McIlroy unloads on BBC over SPOTY after ‘forgetting’ he bought nominated
PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy claimed he ‘forgot’ he was nominated for the 2023 Sports Personality of the Year award. Golf gamers are typically neglected within the public award, with the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick shunned final yr regardless of profitable the 2022 U.S. Open.
McIlroy was included on a shortlist of six contenders, together with cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Frankie Dettori and wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett. Athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and England goalkeeper Mary Earps had been additionally nominated.
Lionesses star Earps was the recipient of last month’s SPOTY award, with Broad ending second as he retired after the Ashes. While his agonising wait for an additional main triumph continued, McIlroy loved a stellar 2023 as he avenged the brutal report defeat on the 2021 Ryder Cup with a talismanic perfromance in Rome as Europe regained the long-lasting trophy.
McIlroy completed as the highest factors scorer on both facet with 4 out of 5 matches gained. Europe’s victory additionally gave the 34-year-old his fifth Ryder Cup triumph to cap off a powerful yr, however he did not win SPOTY.
His final nomination for the award got here again in 2014, when the Northern Irishman gained each the PGA Championship and Open Championship as he completed the yr World No. 1. But it wasn’t sufficient, lacking out to Lewis Hamilton.
Nine years later, McIlroy had the possibility to win once more however he opted to snub his invite. At the Dubai Desert Classic this week, he was requested in regards to the ongoing drought for a golf winner of the SPOTY award.
“I forgot I was nominated,” McIlroy frankly declared. “So that’s how much I think about it. It’s a popularity contest, and I think it’s just not really – it’s not what it once was.”
Sir Nick Faldo is the final golfer to win the BBC SPOTY accolade in 1989, and plenty of followers of the game are inclined to dismiss the award because of the lack of recognition. Last yr, Fitzpatrick was left off the shortlist regardless of profitable the U.S. Open in epic circumstances on the Country Club of Brookline.
Despite the Sheffield star becoming a member of the legendary Jack Nickalus as the one different participant to win the US Amateur Championship and the US Open on the similar venue, Fitzpatrick’s achievement was dismissed. Fitzpatrick reportedly politely declined the decision from organisers to attend the awards earlier than the shortlist was named on account of the shortage of acknowledgement golfers are inclined to obtain on the occasion.
Taking to X on the time, Ian Poulter furiously reacted to Fitzpatrick’s omission: “Sorry but complete disregard for @MattFitz94 makes this event a continued farce and joke. I experienced first hand how much of a joke this was 10 years ago. Promised myself then I’d never waste time attending or watching again.”