Rory McIlroy will be in attendance at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony as he is favourite to win the award. But the 36-year-old appears to have U-turned from his previous stance that the prize is just a "popularity contest."

McIlroy enjoyed an unprecedented 12 months. In April, he edged out Justin Rose in a dramatic play-off at the Masters, winning the major competition for the first time and completing a career Grand Slam.

This momentous victory was followed by a few wins on the PGA Tour and another high-profile success at the Ryder Cup in September, where Team Europe achieved a historic victory on American soil.

For his exploits, McIlroy is one of six nominees and the bookies' favourite to win SPOTY and says he plans to attend the awards ceremony itself. This marks quite the reversal from his previous standing.

Simply winning the Masters all those months ago put McIlroy firmly in the SPOTY running, regardless of the fact that he has snubbed the awards for over a decade.

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McIlroy has been nominated on more than one occasion, including in 2023. Still, he has often chosen to skip the ceremony and not send in any video messages or statements about his nomination.

In January, McIlroy was asked about SPOTY and he even claimed he had forgotten he was nominated in 2023, indicating just how little he took notice of the award.

"Whenever I saw the results, I forgot I was nominated," said McIlroy. "So that's how much I think about it. It's a popularity contest. It's not what it once was."

But McIlroy is now the favourite to win the gong and it appears he has changed his stance. He has admitted that he plans to attend the ceremony in Salford on December 18.

It has been over a decade since McIlroy has been present at the awards, the last time coming in 2014. Despite winning two major titles that year he finished runner-up to Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton even shouted McIlroy out in his acceptance speech as he said: "I really wasn't expecting it, because, dude [McIlroy], you had such an incredible year."

McIlroy has confirmed he plans to attend Thursday's awards ceremony in England and he told The Telegraph: "Yeah, the plan is to go. I have more chance of winning if I'm actually there and I recognise that with the audience the show attracts it could only be a good thing for the game."

He added: "I suppose if I don't win it this time, I never will." If he is able to win the award he would become just the third golfer to be crowned Sports Personality of the Year, alongside Sir Nick Faldo and Dai Rees.