Rory McIlroy up for Sports Personality of the Year Award

Rory McIlroy has been named in the Sports Personality of the Year contenders for 2023, an award presented by BBC Sport.

Among other top names in sport, Rory sits alongside, primarily for his time spent this year standing up for the PGA Tour in its initial fight and subsequent peace making angle with LIV Golf. He was supposed to launch TGL in the new year, which has since been delayed. 

Other awards to be announced on Sunday include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team and Coach of the Year, Unsung Hero and the Helen Rollason Award.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023 contenders…

🌟 Stuart Broad
🌟 Frankie Dettori
🌟 Mary Earps
🌟 Alfie Hewett
🌟 Katarina Johnson-Thompson
🌟 Rory McIlroy

Watch the awards on @BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer – Tuesday, 19 December 2023 from 19:00 GMT.#BBCSPOTY pic.twitter.com/YjJR8uG6SE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 12, 2023

I’d be surprised if Rory has the popularity to win such a coveted award, and it certainly wouldn’t go down well with the LIV fans of the world. But Rory has stuck to his guns, rightly or wrongly, throughout the LIV saga. He has been left out to dry by the leadership on the PGA Tour and acted as a de facto chairman and spokesperson for the Tour. He also had a solid year, winning the Scottish Open and narrowly missing out on the US Open at LACC to Wyndham Clark.

Now seen as a divisive figure depending on your allegiances, it would go a long way in the future merger if Rory was to concede some ground to his former team mates, and vice versa. A recent twitter exchange between Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Rory himself paints none of them in the best light; but his actions this year have been admirable in terms of doing what he thinks is best for golf.

Will it be enough to win the personality of the year award?

Cover Image via Golf Digest