Golf has never been a frequent winner at Sports Personality of the Year, despite the sport’s global profile and long history of British success. While footballers, athletes and Formula One drivers have often dominated the public vote, few golfers have managed to cut through and claim the top honour. Across more than seven decades of the award, just three golfers have been crowned SPOTY, and here they are.
Dai Rees – 1957
The first golfer to win SPOTY was Dai Rees in 1957, just three years after the award was founded. Rees was captain of the Great Britain and Ireland Ryder Cup team that year, leading his side to a historic victory in the biennial contest against the United States. This was the only defeat the United States suffered in the competition between 1933 and 1985. Rees’ leadership and triumph on one of golf’s most celebrated occasions alone earned him much public admiration and the top spot at the BBC awards.
A year after his SPOTY triumph, Rees was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1958 New Year Honours for services to golf.
Nick Faldo – 1989
The second golfer to win SPOTY was Nick Faldo, who claimed the award in 1989. By this stage in his career, Faldo was one of the world’s leading golfers, known for his technical precision and mental discipline.
The standout moment of his 1989 season was his victory at The Masters, where he claimed his first Green Jacket after a dramatic play-off at Augusta National. That win marked his second major championship, following his Open Championship success in 1987, and confirmed his ability to contend on golf’s biggest stages.
Away from the majors, Faldo was equally dominant. During 1989, he secured multiple high-profile victories on the European Tour, including wins at the BMW PGA Championship, British Masters and Open de France. These results helped establish him as a consistent force throughout the season rather than a player reliant on isolated peaks.
Perhaps what strengthened Faldo’s case even more is it that it came at a period when few British players were competing regularly at the top of the world game. As such, his success alone played a key role in raising the profile of professional golf in Britain.
Rory McIlroy – 2025
Rory McIlroy’s SPOTY win was built on one of the most complete and dramatic seasons of his career. Like Faldo before him, the defining moment came at The Masters, where McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam after a tense play-off victory at Augusta National. It was his first major title since 2014, ending an 11-year wait and placing him among an elite group as just the sixth man in the modern era to win all four major championships over his career.
That Masters victory alone would have marked the year as special, but McIlroy’s impact extended beyond Augusta. At the Ryder Cup, he played a central role in Team Europe’s victory in the United States, contributing three-and-a-half points as Europe won on American soil for the first time since 2012. His performances combined leadership, consistency and resilience in one of golf’s most pressurised and hostile team environments.
McIlroy’s season was further strengthened by several very big wins on the regular tour calendar. He claimed titles at The Players Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, two of the most prestigious non-major events in the game. He also enjoyed success closer to home, lifting the Irish Open for the second time after defeating Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren in a playoff.
Golfing Runners-Up
In addition to the three golfers who have won SPOTY, several others from the sport have come close. In total, five golfers have finished as runners-up over the years. Tony Jacklin achieved the feat twice, finishing second in both 1969 and 1970. Darren Clarke was runner-up in 2006 and again in 2011, while Rory McIlroy finished second in 2014.
Of those near-misses, Darren Clarke’s second-place finish in 2006 is often viewed as the most unfortunate. He went into the awards as a strong odds-on favourite after playing a pivotal role in Europe’s emphatic Ryder Cup victory over the United States. Clarke’s performance carried added emotional weight, coming just six weeks after the death of his wife Heather following her battle with cancer. Despite overcoming such a loss, he was soundly beaten by Zara Phillips, who received over 50% more votes than Clarke.
Tony Jacklin was also a serious contender during his two runner-up finishes. He won The Open Championship in 1969 and followed it with victory at the U.S. Open in 1970, becoming one of Britain’s most successful golfers of the time. As the first Brit to win the U.S. Open in the modern era, he may consider himself unlucky to have been pipped to SPOTY back to back.