Questions are being asked about why the King's New Year Honours list did not recognise the achievements of Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy.
The 36-year-old completed a career Grand Slam in the sport by winning the Masters in April and led Team Europe to a memorable Ryder Cup success against their American hosts in September.
When McIlroy won a dramatic play-off to add the Masters to his Open, US Open, and US PGA Championship triumphs, there were calls for him to be knighted.
At the time, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said: "This universally popular figure deserves the highest praise the nation can bestow, and a knighthood is just that."
However, McIlroy did not feature in the list of honours released on Monday evening, despite being nominated by Stormont for recognition as reported by the Press Association.
