Rory McIlroy details prospective Masters Champions Dinner menu

Rory McIlroy, a professional golfer from Northern Ireland with four major championships, has outlined the menu he would curate for the Masters Champions Dinner if he wins the green jacket.[1][2] The dinner, a tradition since 1952 when started by Ben Hogan, is hosted by the defending champion exclusively for past Masters winners on the Tuesday evening before the tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.[3]

McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship and 2014 PGA Championship, requires a Masters victory to become the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam, following Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.[1][4]

Appetizer options would include rock shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates and elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli. McIlroy cited his mother's recipe for the dates: "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."[2]

He explained the elk sliders: "I got this big shipment of elk, and I was eating a lot of that, and I didn’t want elk to be the main course... so I incorporated it into the appetizers. So, I’m doing grilled elk sliders, which I think is fun."[2]

The first course would be yellowfin tuna carpaccio, inspired by Le Bernardin restaurant in New York City. "It’s called Le Bernardin, and this is a dish from that restaurant," McIlroy said.[2]

Main courses would feature wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon, accompanied by traditional Irish champ potatoes, Brussels sprouts and crispy Vidalia onion rings. McIlroy noted: "For the sides, a lot of different sides, I've done traditional Irish champ. When I was a kid, I used to eat champ by the bowlful."[2]

Dessert would be sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce.[2]

The next Masters Tournament is scheduled for April 10-13, 2025, at Augusta National.[5]

Sources

1. Publisher/Organization name: PGA Tour
   Article/page title: Rory McIlroy | Player Profile
   Publication date: Accessed October 2024
   Direct URL: https://www.pgatour.com/player/25796/rory-mcilroy
2. Publisher/Organization name: Irish Independent
   Article/page title: Rory McIlroy reveals delicious Masters champions dinner menu which features his mam’s special dates
   Publication date: 20 February 2023
   Direct URL: https://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy-reveals-delicious-masters-champions-dinner-menu-which-features-his-mams-special-dates/a1176644929.html
3. Publisher/Organization name: Masters Tournament
   Article/page title: Champions Dinner
   Publication date: Accessed October 2024
   Direct URL: https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/traditions/champions_dinner.html
4. Publisher/Organization name: Masters Tournament
   Article/page title: Career Grand Slam Winners
   Publication date: Accessed October 2024
   Direct URL: https://www.masters.com/en_US/players/grand_slam_winners.html
5. Publisher/Organization name: Masters Tournament
   Article/page title: 2025 Masters Tournament Information
   Publication date: Accessed October 2024
   Direct URL: https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/tournament_info.html