Rory McIlroy must be knighted after Masters win – there are no excuses | Golf | Sport

What more does Rory McIlroy have to do to get the knighthood he deserves?

He’s arguably the best British golfer in history, having equalled Sir Nick Faldo’s tally of six major titles by defending his Masters crown over the weekend. It saw McIlroy join the exclusive club of repeat winners at Augusta National and cemented his legacy as a modern-day great.

You could even argue that he should have been knighted after winning golf’s most prestigious tournament for the first time last year. Many expected it to happen, but he was snubbed from the Honours List despite a nomination from Stormont.

There was no official comment on why McIlroy wasn’t selected, but a report from The Telegraph suggested that his omission was linked to a historic investment scheme deemed tax avoidance.

The golfer was one of 183 people who had invested in a scheme to regenerate parts of Liverpool, Birmingham and Sheffield back in 2015.

At the time, an investigation was launched by HMRC over whether McIlroy and others had exploited the Business Premises Renovation Allowance programme, under which investors could claim up to 100 per cent tax relief on expenditure.

There is no suggestion that McIlroy ever sought to dodge his tax obligations, and there was no acknowledgement that he or his advisors would have known about any potential loopholes.

So, that’s hardly an excuse to deny the 36-year-old the knighthood he is rightfully owed. Besides, there was no such scrutiny for the likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Lewis Hamilton, who both reside in the tax haven of Monaco.

They aren’t the only ones with similar postcodes to be handed knighthoods by the British honours system, either. As such, there are no more reasons for McIlroy to be overlooked.

To deny him again would simply be unjust, given what he has achieved over the course of his career and particularly in recent years.

For a golfer who had long been accused of failing to show up in big moments, he has shown remarkable resilience to win the Masters in successive years and that should be recognised with a knighthood.

Already a national hero in Northern Ireland, the Holywood native is now firmly among Britain’s greatest exports on the sporting stage and will be rightly remembered as a champion, rather than a nearly man.

He’s also a dedicated philanthropist, having donated millions of pounds to charitable causes focused on health, education and sport.

McIlroy has funded Daisy Lodge, a therapeutic centre for children with cancer, and continues to support Mencap for children with learning disabilities.

His personal foundation, founded in 2013, has also done plenty of good work for those in need. His incredible generosity over many years, combined with his brilliance on the golf course, make him an excellent candidate for Britain’s highest honour.

In terms of sportspeople gunning for a knighthood, not many are more deserving than McIlroy. It’s time to stop this madness and recognise his brilliance in the proper way – by making him Sir Rory.