Published:
Readtime: 5 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
Once a year, one of sport’s most exclusive clubs sits down for dinner. No cameras, no sponsors, and only one way in: win The Masters Tournament.
After 17 years chasing a green jacket, Rory McIlroy finally earned his seat at the table and, with it, the right to host the Champions Dinner.
“I always thought about if I win the Masters one day, what would I want it to look like? What would I like to serve?”
The menu runs 12 items deep, from Irish comfort food to fine dining staples, backed by a selection from Augusta National’s cellar.
No wonder McIlroy “can’t wait to host the dinner.” He’s smacking his lips just as much as we are right now.
What’s On The Champions Dinner Menu
Also on the menu is Rock Shrimp Tempura, “a crowd pleaser,” and if you were following McIlroy’s eating habits in the build-up to the Masters last year, well, that’s why Grilled Elk Sliders are on the menu.
“I didn’t want elk to be the main course because I didn’t know if everyone would like that,” said McIlroy.
As we move into the first course, we start to see McIlroy’s worldly nature. The yellowfin tuna carpaccio is prepared exactly the way his favourite restaurant does. His Augusta National staff flew all the way to New York City to visit Le Bernardin, just to get it right.
“Every time we go to that restaurant, that’s the one thing I have to have,” said McIlroy.
McIlroy says it’s a simple dish, but jetsetting halfway around the world for a recipe that is essentially “a really thin slice of French baguette with a really thin slice of foie gras on top of that and tuna carpaccio,” seems par the course for a Championship dinner that’s been taking place since 1952.
The first dinner was hosted by defending champion Ben Hogan, who invited past winners to a private dinner during Masters week. And they’ve been eating annual ever since.
“No, it wasn’t put together off the top of my head. I tried to be pretty thoughtful with it,” McIlroy said. “Tried to incorporate some of the things that I like and some little personal touches along the way. But at the same time, trying to put together a good enough menu that everybody would enjoy.”
Then comes the classic dinner question: steak or fish? Only, you won’t be disappointed with either option: wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon. Served with sauteed Brussel sprouts, glazed carrots with brown butter, and those crispy Vidalia onion rings we mentioned, I’m not sure what sounds more delicious, the mains or the sides.
If you’ve got enough room for dessert (of course you do), there’s a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce to round it out.
What About the Drinks?
You can’t have dinner without something to drink. And my goodness, are they in for a treat. While the attention is certainly on the food, Rory McIlroy’s favourite part of the menu is getting “access to the wonderful wine cellar at Augusta National.”
Kicking things off with a 2015 Salon Brut champagne, it’s followed up by a 2022 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet, the first-ever white wine that McIlory actually liked.
Moving on to the reds, there’s a 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild from Pauillac in Bordeaux, a reminder of the bottle he drank the night he won the Masters, completing his career Grand Slam.
And a 1989 Château d’Yquem from Sauternes, Bordeaux. If you’re not familiar with this vintage, we’ll let Rory McIlroy tell you all about it: “I think every great meal deserves to be finished off with Château D’Yquem. It is like liquid gold.”
But once the dinner is done, it’s back to the reason why they’re sitting down to dinner in the first place: winning another green jacket.
Rory McIlroy’s Champions Dinner Menu
Appetisers
- Dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon
- Grilled elk sliders
- Rock shrimp tempura
- Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread with hot honey
First Course
- Yellowfin tuna carpaccio
Main Course
- Wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon
Sides
- Traditional Irish champ
- Sautéed Brussels sprouts
- Glazed carrots with brown butter
- Crispy Vidalia onion rings
Dessert
- Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce
Wine
- 2015 Salon “S” Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Champagne
- 2022 Domaine Leflaive, Bâtard-Montrachet
- 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac, Bordeaux)
- 1989 Château d’Yquem (Sauternes, Bordeaux)
Bon appétit
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.