While the calendar has yet to flip to April, all eyes (and stomachs) are on the 2026 Masters. Reigning champion Rory McIlroy will arrive at Augusta National Golf Club with the green jacket in one hand and a dinner menu in the other as the most recent grand slam champion is set to host the annual Champions Dinner ahead of the tournament.
Recent champions like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama have paid homage to their roots with dishes from their home countries or local areas, and McIlroy has followed suit in certain areas. The Northern Irishman revealed that his menu will feature dishes that have personal meaning with a nod to his upbringing.
McIlroy’s menu features four appetizers, including bacon-wrapped dates, which he noted were inspired by his mother. He also revealed that, leading up to his 2025 victory, he was eating a lot of elk — hence the grilled elk sliders. Peach and ricotta flatbread and rock shrimp tempura round out the appetizers.
As for the main course, McIlroy said, “I want everyone to enjoy it.”
Following the first course of yellowfin tuna carpaccio, McIlroy will serve wagyu filet mignon, for those who prefer red meat, and seared salmon, for those who prefer seafood. His dessert will be sticky toffee pudding, which he expects to be a popular choice.
While McIlroy focused on the food portion of the menu, he left no stone unturned when it came to the champagne and wine selection. The 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac is particularly meaningful to McIlroy as he drank it with friends and family the night of his victory in 2025.
In addition to selecting the evening’s courses, McIlroy will be responsible for giving a speech in front of his fellow Masters champions and grand slam winners like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, who will all be in attendance. Others like Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Jose Maria Olazabal, Nick Faldo and Ben Crenshaw will be there as well.
Fun stories always seem to trickle out from the evening’s festivities. In 2022, Couples called Matsuyama’s speech, which was delivered entirely in English, “the coolest thing” he had ever witnessed at the dinner. The next year, several champions were forthcoming with their thoughts about the tortilla soup featured on Scheffler’s menu; Danny Willett giving an apt description of the spiciness level.
“I ate it,” Willett said. “But I did look over at Scottie and ask if he was trying to kill us.”