Rory McIlroy, the 2025 Masters champion from Holywood, Northern Ireland, has curated the menu for the 2026 Masters Champions Dinner. The annual event, a tradition started by Ben Hogan in 1952, is hosted by the reigning green jacket winner for all past champions and was revealed on the Masters' social media accounts on Wednesday.[1]

The pre-tournament dinner takes place at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, and is limited to previous Masters winners. McIlroy's menu includes four appetizers, a first course, main course options, sides, dessert and four wine pairings, reflecting personal influences from his life and career.[1][2]

Appetizer selections are rock shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates and grilled elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.

The yellowfin tuna carpaccio is inspired by a dish from 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.[2]

The bacon-wrapped dates reference a recipe made by McIlroy's mother. "My mom does these really, really nice dates stuffed with goat’s cheese wrapped in bacon. So, I’ve put those on the appetizers list," he said.[2]

McIlroy incorporated elk into appetizers to limit its presence. "I got this big shipment of elk... so I’m doing grilled elk sliders, which I think is fun."[2] He selected Irish champ potatoes as a childhood favorite: "When I was a kid, I used to eat champ by the bowlful."[2]

Wine selections from Augusta National's cellar include a 2022 Domaine Leflaive, with bottles exceeding $2,000, and a 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild averaging at least $1,200 per bottle.[3]

The 2026 Champions Dinner is set for April 7, ahead of the first round of the Masters on April 9. McIlroy won his first Masters title on April 13, 2025, in a playoff, completing the career Grand Slam as the sixth male golfer to achieve it, following Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.[1][2][4]

Sources

1. Masters official website, Traditions and Champions Dinner information, accessed October 2024, https://www.masters.com/
2. Irish Independent, main page, accessed October 2024, https://www.independent.ie/
3. Wine-Searcher.com, main page, accessed October 2024, https://www.wine-searcher.com/
4. Fox News Sports, main page, accessed October 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
5. Wikipedia, Rory McIlroy, accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_McIlroy