It's champ for the champ as Rory McIlroy revealed the menu for the Masters club dinner he will host at Augusta next month.
Held on the Tuesday of the tournament every year and with forks and knives reserved for those who have donned the green jacket only, the revealing of the menu has become a quirky highlight of the golfing calendar.
McIlroy’s dramatic play-off win over Justin Rose last April to complete golf's grand slam means not only will he become the first Irishman to attend the dinner, he also gets to set the menu for 2026.
The foods listed range from grilled elk sliders to traditional Irish champ, and the five-time major winner explained the thinking behind his culinary choices.
"For appetizers, I have done four," McIlroy said at a Masters press conference.
"Firstly, my mum does these really, really nice dates stuffed with goat cheese wrapped in bacon so I put those on the appetizers list. So thanks to Rosie for that one.
"In the build-up to the Masters last year, I was eating a lot of elk. 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 because I didn't know if everyone would like that. So I incorporated that into the appetizers. So I'm doing grilled elk sliders which I think is fun.
"Then another nice appetizer that I think everyone likes is rock shrimp tempura, so sort of a crowd pleaser with that one.
"And then I wanted to try to bring a little bit of, I guess, the local ingredients in. So I'm doing a Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread with hot honey.
"The first course, my wife, Erica and I, our favorite restaurant, or one of our favourite 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. It's a yellowfin tuna carpaccio.
"Moving on to the main course, this dinner, obviously it's an amazing honour to be able to host it, but at the same time, I want everyone to enjoy it. I went for two different options for the main course, a wagyu filet mignon for people that want red meat, or a fillet of seared salmon; so depending on what you want.
"And then for the sides, a lot of different sides. I've gone traditional Irish champ. When I was a kid used to eat champ by the bowlful. So trying to tie in a little bit of my upbringing there. Some sauteed brussel sprouts. Glazed carrots with brown butter. And then trying to bring a little bit of that local flavor back in, some crispy Vidalia onion rings. Vidalia is not too far away from Augusta, about two a two-hour drive, and a member of a golf course there who had been in that club; a little bit of local ingredients being brought back in.
"Then for dessert, I think very much a crowd-pleaser, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream on warm toffee sauce."
McIlroy’s brief isn’t consigned to food, with the Holywood man set to act as sommelier at the dinner.
"My favorite part of the menu is you obviously get access to the wonderful wine cellar at Augusta National.
"So for the wines, we're starting off with a 2015 Salon Brut champagne and then followed by a Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet, and it's the first-ever white wine that I actually liked. So to have to be able to serve that is something that's sort of important to me.
"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. 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.
Served in honor of Mr. Rory McIlroy. #themasters pic.twitter.com/hUp3uaQeNl
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 18, 2026
"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.
"I wanted to be really intentional with the wines. It's something that I'm really into and passionate about and started to collect wine, probably over the past decade, I would say, at this point."
