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Rory McIlroy is taking full advantage of his first opportunity to curate one of pro golf’s most revered traditions at the Masters.
On Wednesday, the Masters’ social media accounts pulled back the curtain on the 2026 Masters Champions Dinner menu, which is curated each year by the reigning green jacket holder. The pre-tournament dinner at Augusta National Golf Club is limited to past Masters winners.
McIlroy’s choices included four different appetizers, a first course, a main course, dessert and four wine choices, and many of the reasons for their choices were a nod to McIlroy’s personal and golf life.
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Rory McIlroy holds the Masters championship trophy during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
Diners will choose from a menu sure to satisfy just about any foodie, with appetizers including rock shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates and the aforementioned elk sliders — with caramelized onion marmalade and roasted garlic aioli.
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Next is the first course, with yellowfin tuna carpaccio. McIlroy took inspiration for the dish from his and his wife’s favorite restaurant in New York City, Le Bernardin, the golfer told the Irish Independent.
“It’s called Le Bernardin and this is a dish from that restaurant,” McIlroy told the outlet.
Rory McIlroy drops to his knees to celebrate after winning a playoff on the No. 18 green during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
He added that the bacon-wrapped dates listed on the appetizer list are a nod to the ones his mom makes. “My mom makes these really, really nice dates filled with goat cheese wrapped in bacon. So I put them on the appetizer list.”
In the build-up to the 2025 Masters, McIlroy said he was avoiding excessive moose consumption at the time.
“I got this big shipment of elk, and I ate a lot of that, and I didn’t want elk to be the main course because I didn’t know if everyone would like it, so I incorporated it into the appetizers. So I make grilled elk sliders, which I think is fun.”
For the main course, participants can choose between wagyu filet mignon and grilled salmon. These will be paired with traditional Irish champartofels, Brussels sprouts and crispy Vidalia onion rings. “For the sides, many different sides, I’ve made traditional Irish champ. When I was a kid, I used to eat champ by the bowl,” said the Northern Ireland native.
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)
Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and hot toffee sauce is the champion’s dinner dessert option.
Augusta National houses a robust wine cellar. McIlroy chose a 2022 Domaine Leflaive from the club’s cellar. A bottle from that year can exceed $2,000, according to prices on Wine-Searcher.com. The other two wines on the menu, including a 1990 Château Lafite, average at least $1,200 per case. bottle.
This year’s Masters Champions Dinner will take place on April 7. The first round of the Masters, the first major of the season, starts on April 9. McIlroy will attempt to defend his first Masters title after becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.
