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Rory McIlroy is taking full advantage of his first opportunity to bring one of professional golf’s most revered traditions to the Masters.
On Wednesday, Masters social media accounts pulled back the curtain on the menu for the 2026 Masters Champions Dinner, hosted each year by the reigning green jacket holder.
The pre-tournament dinner at Augusta National Golf Club is reserved for previous Masters winners.
McIlroy’s choices included four different starters, a first course, a main course, a dessert and four wine selections, and many of the selections were a nod to McIlroy’s personal and golfing life.
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Rory McIlroy holds the Masters Championship trophy during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
Diners will choose from a menu that will satisfy virtually any foodie, with entrée options including shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates, and the aforementioned elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.
REIGNING MASTERS CHAMPION RORY MCILROY WITHDRAWS FROM PGA EVENT 1 MONTH BEFORE GREEN JACKET DEFENSE
Next comes the first course, consisting of yellowfin tuna carpaccio. McIlroy took inspiration for the dish from his and his wife’s favorite New York restaurant, Le Bernardin, the golfer told the Irish Independent.
“It’s called Le Bernardin, and it’s a dish from this restaurant,” McIlroy told the outlet..
Rory McIlroy falls to his knees in celebration after winning the playoff on the No. 18 green during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
He added that the bacon-wrapped dates on the entree list are a nod to what his mother makes.
“My mom makes these really, really beautiful dates stuffed with goat cheese wrapped in bacon. So I put them on the appetizer list.”
McIlroy said he avoids excessive consumption of elk.
“I got this big delivery of elk, and I was eating a lot of them, and I didn’t want the elk to be the main course, because I didn’t know if everyone would like it, so I incorporated it into the entrees. So I’m making grilled elk sliders, which I think is fun.”
For the main course, attendees can choose between wagyu filet mignon and pan-seared salmon. These will be accompanied by traditional Irish champion potatoes, Brussels sprouts and crispy Vidalia onion rings.
“For the teams, a lot of different teams, I ate traditional Irish champion. When I was a kid, I ate bowl champion,” the Northern Ireland native said.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy react during the green jacket ceremony after the final round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025. (Katie Goodale/Imagn Images)
Gooey toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce is the champ’s dessert option for dinner.
Augusta National is home to a robust wine cellar. McIlroy selected a Domaine Leflaive 2022 from the club’s cellar. A bottle from that year can exceed $2,000, according to prices listed on Wine-Searcher.com. The other two wines on the menu, including a 1990 Château Lafite, average at least $1,200 a bottle.
This year’s Masters Champions Dinner will be served on April 7. The first round of the Masters, the first major tournament of the season, will begin on April 9. McIlroy will look to defend his first Masters title after becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.
