McIlroy Chooses Choice Of Filet Mignon Or Salmon As His Champions Dinner Main Course

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Grand Slam winning Rory McIlroy has presented a choice of filet mignon or salmon as his main course in hosting his much-anticipated Champions Dinner for the night of April 7th during Masters week.

Indeed, it will be Wagu Filet Mignon or Seared Salmon that all living past Masters champions plus current Augusta Chairman Fred Ridley can choose as their main course.

McIlroy has borrowed recipes from some of his favourite restaurants to present before his now fellow Masters champions.

Though there’s no Irish Stew or Beef and Guinness Pie as GolfByTourMiss had quizzed Rors at the recent Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“I think it would be pretty presumptuous to have a menu in your head before you actually win the tournament,” McIlroy said in a conference call Wednesday. “But I always thought about if I win the Masters one day, what would I want it to look like? What would I like to serve?

“Can’t wait to host the dinner, and then obviously, be a part of that dinner for many, many years to come.”

Rory has honoured his mother Rosie with her favourite of bacon-wrapped dates along with yellowfin tuna, peach and ricotta flatbread and grilled elk sliders as his choice of appetisers.

His First Course being Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio.

“As we move on, the first course, my wife, Erica and I, one of our favourite restaurants 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,” said McIlroy. “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 and tuna carpaccio. So raw slices of tuna on top of that.

“It’s a really simple dish, but every time we go to that restaurant, that’s the one thing that I have to have. I can sort of change up everything else in my order but that tuna carpaccio is the one that stays. 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.”

And my favourite is Rory’s choice for dessert – Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice-cream and warm toffee sauce.

So what about a choice of wines.

“My favourite part of the menu is you obviously get access to the wonderful wine cellar at Augusta National,” he said, smiling. “So for the wines we’re starting off with a 2015 Salon Brut champagne. And then followed by a 2022 Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet, and it’s the first-ever white wine that I actually liked. So to have, you know, to be able to serve that is something that’s sort of important to me.

“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. You know, Shane Lowry had a little bit to do with getting that wine, so I want to shout him out for that, too. But that will be amazing to serve.

“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”.

Who’s going to for the dinner?  Certainly not Augusta National Golf Club.

The reigning Masters champion has the ‘honour’ of paying the bill.

By way of comparison, Scottie Scheffler last year had Texas touches with a cowboy ribeye, Texas-style chili and jalapeno creamed corn. Jon Rahm’s menu had a Spanish flavor. Hideki Matsuyama also served Wagu Fillet Beef along with sashimi when he hosted the 2022 dinner.  Sandy Lyle of Scotland served haggis and Adam Scott of Australia included Moreton Bay lobster. Players from 13 countries have won the Masters.

“No, it wasn´t put together off the top of my head. I tried to be pretty thoughtful with it,” McIlroy said.

“I tried to incorporate some of the things that I like and some little personal touches along the way. But at the same time, trying to put together a good enough menu that everybody would enjoy.”

Hereunder is some interesting details relating to the tradition of the annual Champions Masters Dinner.

  1. Founding of the Masters Club: The tradition was started by Ben Hogan in 1952 after he sent a letter to Augusta National suggesting a formal dinner for all past champions. He served as the unofficial host for several years and the event remains a private gathering for green jacket holders and the club chairman only.
  2. Selection of the menu: The reigning champion holds the honour of selecting the entire menu for the evening, which often reflects their personal tastes or home region. While the defending champion picks the theme, guests are not actually required to eat it and can order off the club’s standard menu if they prefer.
  3. Paying the tab: In a unique twist for the host, the defending champion is responsible for paying the entire bill for the dinner. With the winning purse now exceeding $4m covering the costs for a few dozen legendary golfers is an expense most winners are more than happy to handle.
  4. Scottie Scheffler’s first menu: For his first hosting duties in 2023, Scheffler leaned into his Texas roots by serving cheeseburger sliders “Scottie-style,” firecracker shrimp and tortilla soup. The main course featured a choice of Texas ribeye steak or blackened redfish, finished with a warm chocolate chip skillet cookie.
  5. Scheffler’s nostalgic follow-up: After winning again in 2024, Scheffler’s 2025 menu was nearly identical but added “Papa Scheff’s” meatballs and ravioli as a nod to his father. He also swapped the spicy tortilla soup – which some past champs joked was “too spicy” – for a hearty Texas-style chilli.
  6. Tiger Woods’ youthful debut: Following his historic 1997 victory at age 21, Woods famously chose a menu that reflected his age for the 1998 dinner. He served cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and milkshakes to the room full of golf’s elder statesmen.
  7. Woods’ later sophisticated tastes: As he matured, Woods’ menus became much more refined, such as his 2003 selection of porterhouse steak, sushi and sashimi. For his most recent dinner in 2020, he returned to a favourite theme by serving steak and chicken fajitas with an “Augusta Roll” sushi appetiser.
  8. Cultural heritage on display: Many international winners use the dinner to showcase the cuisine of their home countries to their fellow champions. For example, Hideki Matsuyama served A5 Wagyu beef and speciality sushi in 2022, while Sandy Lyle famously served traditional Scottish haggis in 1989.
  9. The presentation of the locket: Beyond the meal itself, the night includes a ceremony where the defending champion is presented with an inscribed gold locket. This piece of jewellery is shaped like the Augusta National logo and signifies the winner’s permanent membership in the most elite club in golf.
  • The above nine points courtesy of Daily Mirror (UK)


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