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Rory McIlroy is making the most of his first opportunity to curate one of professional 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 current holder of the green jacket. Pre-tournament dinner at Augusta National Golf Club is limited to previous Masters winners.
McIlroy’s choices included four different appetizers, a first course, a main course, dessert and four wine selections, and many of the reasons for his selection 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 Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Kyle Terada/Image Images)
Dinner guests will choose from a menu sure to satisfy virtually any foodie, with appetizer options including shrimp tempura, peach-ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates, and the aforementioned elk sandwiches, with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.
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Next is the first course, with yellowfin tuna carpaccio. McIlroy drew inspiration for the dish from his and his wife’s favorite New York City restaurant, 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 falls to his knees to celebrate after winning a tiebreaker at no. 18 green during the final round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2025. (Kyle Terada/Image Images)
She added that the bacon-wrapped dates on the appetizer list are a nod to the ones her mother makes. “My mom makes these really delicious goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon. So I put them on the appetizer list.”
In preparation for the 2025 Masters, McIlroy said he was avoiding excessive consumption of moose at the time.
“I got a big shipment of elk, and I was eating a lot of that, and I didn’t want the elk to be the main dish, because I didn’t know if everyone would like it, so I incorporated it into the appetizers. So I’m making grilled elk sandwiches, which I think is fun.”
For the main course, attendees can choose between wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon. They will be paired with traditional Irish champion potatoes, Brussels sprouts and crispy Vidalia onion rings. “For the sides, a lot of different sides, I’ve made traditional Irish champion. When I was a kid, I used to eat champion by the bowlful,” 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/Image Images)
Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce is the dessert choice for the champion’s dinner.
Augusta National is home to a solid winery. 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 per 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, 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.
