Despite being a nominee for the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, Rory McIlroy skipped the ceremony to attend a family function.
After moving to Florida five years ago, McIlroy missed the ceremony in Salford to attend the event there, even though he didn’t participate in the BBC’s premier sports show.
Just 48 hours prior, the Northern Irishman had traveled to the northwest of England to witness his beloved Manchester United play Liverpool in a goalless Premier League draw at Anfield.
Out of the six nominees, McIlroy was the only one who did not show up for the awards on Tuesday or make an appearance via live video link. As a result, the show had to use an eight-second clip of him speaking just before the Ryder Cup to cover his candidacy.
During the ceremony, he did not provide an explanation for his absence, in contrast to fellow contender Frankie Dettori, who expressed regret for missing it in person.
The jockey, who had just returned from a month-long stay in Australia as a participant in the ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity, was spending four days with his family in France before moving to the United States. Take Me Out of Here!
However, he was narrowly defeated by reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who won the title for a second time after a well-publicized campaign spearheaded by the driver’s Mercedes team.
McIlroy had announced earlier that year that he would be competing for the Republic of Ireland in the Olympics, not Great Britain.
Danny Willett, the 2016 Augusta champion, was the most recent previous contender. McIlroy’s nomination for the BBC award this year was the first for a golfer since the broadcaster lost live rights to both the Open and the Masters.
After helping Europe win back the Ryder Cup in Rome and winning the Race to Dubai on the DP Tour for the fifth time, the Holywood man received a nomination.
Controversially, Matt Fitzpatrick did not qualify for the previous year’s shortlist following his US Open victory, which made him the youngest winner of an English Major since Tony Jacklin over fifty years prior.
The BBC prize has only been won by two golfers: Nick Faldo in 1989 and Dai Rees in 1957.
