Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, has curated the menu for the 2026 Champions Dinner, a tradition organized by the previous year's winner. The menu was revealed on the Masters' social media accounts on Wednesday.
The dinner, exclusive to past Masters winners, is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. It precedes the first round of the 2026 Masters tournament on Thursday, April 9.[1]
McIlroy won his first Masters title on April 13, 2025, in a playoff on the 18th green, completing the career Grand Slam. He became the sixth male golfer to win all four modern majors, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.[2][3]
The Northern Irish golfer, who turned professional in 2007 and has 26 PGA Tour victories, included personal touches in the menu. Appetizers feature rock shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates and elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.
| Course | Selections |
|---|---|
| Appetizers | Rock shrimp tempura; peach and ricotta flatbread; bacon-wrapped dates; grilled elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli |
| First course | Yellowfin tuna carpaccio |
| Main course | Wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon |
| Sides | Irish champ potatoes; Brussels sprouts; crispy Vidalia onion rings |
| Dessert | Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce |
| Wines | 2022 Domaine Leflaive; 1990 Château Lafite (among four selections) |
The tuna carpaccio is inspired by Le Bernardin, a New York City restaurant favored by McIlroy and his wife. "It’s called Le Bernardin, and this is a dish from that restaurant," McIlroy told the Irish Independent. He said the bacon-wrapped dates reflect his mother's recipe, stuffed with goat cheese.
McIlroy incorporated elk in the appetizers after receiving a large shipment but avoided it as the main course. The sides include Irish champ potatoes, a childhood favorite. "When I was a kid, I used to eat champ by the bowlful," he said.
The Champions Dinner tradition dates to 1952, started by Ben Hogan. Augusta National's wine cellar provided selections such as the 2022 Domaine Leflaive, with bottles exceeding $2,000, and 1990 Château Lafite averaging at least $1,200 per Wine-Searcher.com listings.
McIlroy recently withdrew from a PGA Tour event one month before defending his title at the season's first major.
Sources
- Masters Tournament, "Traditions: Champions Dinner", accessed October 2024, https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/traditions/champions_dinner.html
- PGA Tour, "Rory McIlroy Player Profile", accessed October 2024, https://www.pgatour.com/player/30951/rory-mcilroy
- Wikipedia, "Career Grand Slam in men's golf", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Career_Grand_Slam_(men%27s_golf)
