Rory McIlroy has reportedly been excluded from the New Year Honours list despite enjoying what many consider the finest season in European golf history.
The Northern Irish star completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta in April, becoming the first European and only the sixth golfer ever to achieve the feat.
He subsequently played a pivotal role in Europe's first away Ryder Cup victory since 2012.
The 36-year-old was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this month, making him just the third golfer to claim the award in 72 years.
Rory McIlroy was snubbed from New Year's Honours after an investigation into taxes
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Yet remarkably, he becomes the first SPOTY winner in nearly a decade to be overlooked for an honour in the same year.
According to reports in The Telegraph, tax officials intervened to block McIlroy's recognition.
The golfer is understood to have invested in a scheme that HM Revenue & Customs subsequently deemed to constitute tax avoidance.
A Whitehall source drew comparisons with Sir David Beckham's situation, telling the newspaper that the former England captain faced similar obstacles for years before finally receiving his knighthood in this year's King's Birthday Honours.
The precise reason for the intervention remains unclear, though McIlroy is among numerous wealthy individuals who placed money into a controversial programme investigated by HMRC over a decade ago.
Rory McIlroy finally won The Masters back in April
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In 2015, McIlroy was among more than 180 individuals who invested in a programme designed to regenerate run-down areas of Liverpool's city centre, along with parts of Birmingham and Sheffield.
The scheme would have entitled participants to claim tax relief under the Business Premises Renovation Allowance.
HMRC subsequently launched an inquiry into whether the programme had been exploited for improper tax benefits.
The Co Down golfer received an MBE following his first major triumph in 2011.
Crucially, there has been no suggestion that McIlroy or his advisers at the time were aware of any potential issues with the scheme, nor that he deliberately sought to evade his tax obligations.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are set to receive a damehood and a knighthood respectively in the Kings New Years Honour List | GETTYMcIlroy was not the only notable sporting figure absent from the list.
Ryder Cup-winning captain Luke Donald was similarly overlooked, as were Lionesses Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty in England's European Championship triumph, and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, recipient of the Yashin Trophy at this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony.
By contrast, ice skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean received a damehood and knighthood respectively, nearly 42 years after their Olympic gold in Sarajevo.
Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman was awarded an honorary damehood, whilst captain Leah Williamson saw her OBE upgraded to a CBE following the team's continental success.