The shortlist for the prestigious annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year award has been announced, featuring Beth Mead, Ben Stokes, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jessica Gadirova, Eve Muirhead, and Jake Wightman. The winner will be revealed tonight.
However, the absence of professional golfer Matthew Fitzpatrick from the list has caused uproar within the golf community, with Ian Poulter leading the criticism. Poulter expressed his frustration, stating, “Sorry but complete disregard for [Fitzpatrick] makes this event a continued farce and joke.”
Poulter’s own history with the Sports Personality of the Year award adds to his frustration. In 2012, despite his exceptional performance in helping Europe win the Ryder Cup, he was overlooked for the shortlist. Referring to that incident, Poulter declared, “I experienced firsthand how much of a joke this was 10 years ago. Promised myself then I’d never waste time attending or watching again.”
In June, Fitzpatrick achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Englishman since Justin Rose in 2013 to win the US Open. Rose himself took to Twitter to express his surprise at Fitzpatrick’s absence from the shortlist, questioning, “What about [Fitzpatrick] and his [US Open] win this year?” Although Rose was nominated for his US Open victory, he finished ninth among the 10 nominees.
A month ago, Telegraph Sport revealed that Fitzpatrick had already decided to skip the ceremony, even if he had been nominated. This decision stems from a perception within the golfing community that golfers are frequently overlooked for the BBC end-of-year award. The last golfer to win the award was Sir Nick Faldo in 1989.
The Sports Personality of the Year show, hosted by Gary Lineker, will take place tonight. Lineker, fresh from covering the World Cup, will be joined by Clare Balding, Gabby Logan, and Alex Scott. The shortlist is chosen by an independent panel of experts, including former Olympian Denise Lewis, Paralympian Kelly Gallagher, and ex-snooker player Stephen Hendry. The panel selects the sportsperson who has captured the UK public’s imagination the most throughout 2022. The ultimate winner is determined through a public vote during the live broadcast from Media City in Salford.
It is expected that most of the nominees, including the Lionesses, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Sir Chris Hoy, will be in attendance tonight. The lifetime achievement award will be presented to former sprint champion Usain Bolt, while Lionel Messi has been named the world sports star of the year.
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