Can Rory McIlroy join Sir Nick Faldo and Dai Rees to become just the third golfer to win the illustrious BBC SPOTY award?

Rory McIlroy was announced as one of the six finalists for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Tuesday, December 12. It is an honor that has been received by only two previous golfers, Dai Rees in 1957 and Sir Nick Faldo in 1989.

McIlroy will be competing against cricketer Stuart Broad, horse racing jockey Frankie Dettori, soccer goalkeeper Mary Earps, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, and track & field athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The results will be announced next Tuesday, December 19.

Rory McIlroy's sporting results make him as deserving of the award as any of his rivals. The Northern Irishman won three tournaments and had 13 Top 10s in 22 starts during the season (including the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour).

Rory McIlroy continued to lack a victory in Majors that has eluded him since 2014. Nevertheless, his performance in these tournaments was stratospheric, with three Top 10s, including a second place.

As if that wasn't enough, Rory McIlroy led the European team that won the 2023 Ryder Cup. The Northern Irishman was the team's leading scorer with the best record of his career in this event (4 points in five matches).

However, Rory McIlroy's chances of winning this award are not extremely high. Only two golfers have won it in the 69 previous editions.

Dai Rees won it in 1957 after captaining the Great Britain team to its third Ryder Cup victory (first in 14 years). Sir Nick Faldo, meanwhile, won it in 1989 after winning four tournaments, including The Masters for the first time.

Rory McIlroy finished second in the voting in 2014, when he won two back-to-back Majors (The Open and PGA Championship). On that occasion, he lost to Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

Four other golfers have come close to winning the BBC SPOTY. Tony Jacklin finished second in 1969 and 1970, while Darren Clarke took the same place in 2006 and 2011. Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle finished third in 1987 and 1988 respectively.

Given this track record, Justin Rose used his personal X account (formerly Twitter), to call on golf fans to keep voting for McIlroy.

"All fantastic contenders for this years @BBCSport #SPOTY But as a golfer/fan let’s all get behind @McIlroyRory and get voting… would be great seeing a golfer lift the 🏆 since @NickFaldo006 in 1989. 📺 ⛳️" Rose wrote.

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What is the BBC SPOTY for which Rory McIlroy is nominated?

The BBC Sports Personality Of The Year (shortened to BBC SPOTY) is an award given since 1954 to recognize excellence in sporting achievement. The winner must be a British national or carry out the majority of their sporting activity in the United Kingdom.

The award is defined by popular vote, which is currently conducted online. In the past, it was done by post and telephone calls.

Other accolades are also presented at the awards ceremony such as the BBC Young SPOTY Award and the BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year, among others.