'My mum does these really nice': Rory McIlroy explains his menu for 2026 Masters Champions Dinner
DINNER'S READY: Scottie Scheffler puts the green Jacket on Rory McIlroy. Pic: AP Photo/Matt Slocum.
Rory McIlroy gets to enjoy a number of perks for winning the Masters in 2025.
One is, of course, claiming the famous green jacket. Another is honourary membership to the exclusive Augusta National golf course while he also pocketed a cool $4.2million in prize money.
But following his never to be forgotten victory almost 12 months ago, McIlroy will also receive an annual invitation to the traditional Masters Champions Dinner.
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And for his first appearance at this prestigious gathering of golfing legends, the Northern Ireland native earned the right to pick what the guests will eat.
Usually, the current champion selects a number of dishes associated with their homeland and while McIlroy has followed that trend somewhat, he did decide against going all out Irish and having the other former winners taste black pudding, Irish stew or bacon and cabbage.
Instead, this is the menu Rory McIlroy has gone with. And he has also taken the time to explain each choice he has made.
Rory McIlroy: “I wanted to try to bring a little bit of the local ingredients in. So I'm doing a Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread with hot honey. So hopefully that will go down well with the drinks.”
RM: “I think everyone likes rock shrimp tempura, so sort of a crowd pleaser with that one.”
“My mum does these really, really nice dates stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in bacon … Thanks to Rosie for that one.”
RM: “In the buildup to the Masters last year, I was eating a lot of elk ... I didn't want elk to be the main course because I didn't know if everyone would like that … So I'm doing grilled elk sliders which I think is fun.”
Served in honor of Mr. Rory McIlroy. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hUp3uaQeNl
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 18, 2026
RM: “My wife, Erica and I, our favorite restaurant, or one of our favorite right now is in New York. It's called Le Bernardin. Eric Ripert is the chef there, and this is a dish from that restaurant. It's a yellowfin tuna carpaccio. It's a really thin slice of French baguette with a really thin slight of foie gras on top of that … So that's a fun one that the club worked with me on as well. They went up to the restaurant and worked with the chefs, and made sure; that they obviously wanted to get it right for the night, so that's really cool.”
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RM: “It's an amazing honor to be able to host it, but at the same time, I want everyone to enjoy it. I went for two different options for the main course, a wagyu filet mignon for people that want red meat, or a fillet of seared salmon; so depending on what you want.”
RM: “When I was a kid, I used to eat (Irish) champ by the bowlful … Some sauteed brussels sprouts. Glazed carrots with brown butter. And then trying to bring a little bit of that local flavor back in, some crispy Vidalia onion rings. Vidalia is not too far away from Augusta, about a two, two-and-a-half-hour drive.”
RM: “I think very much a crowd-pleaser, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream on warm toffee sauce.”
And to drink?
2015 Salon "S", Brut, Le Mesnil sur-Oger, Champagne.
2022 Domaine Leflaive, Batard-Montrachet, Puligny-Montracht, Burgundy.
1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux.
1989 Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes, Bordeaux.
RM: "My favorite part of the menu is you obviously get access to the wonderful wine cellar at Augusta National. We're starting off with a 2015 Salon Brut champagne.
"And then followed by a 2022. Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet. It's the first-ever white wine that I actually liked...
"And then for the red wine we're receiving a 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild from Pauillac in Bordeaux. That is the wine that I drank the night that I won the Masters, so obviously brings back some great memories. Shane Lowry had a little bit to do with getting that wine, so I want to shout him out for that, too...
"To finish off, we're going with a 1989 Chateau D'Yquem dessert wine from Sauternes in Bordeaux, as well. Obviously '89, my birth year, and I think every great meal deserved to be finished off with Chateau D'Yquem. It is like liquid gold.
"I wanted to be really intentional with the wines. It's something that I'm really into and passionate about and started to collect wine, probably over the past decade."
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