Rory McIlroy's first Masters Champions dinner features elk and a dish inspired by green jacket holder's mom

19 Mar 2026 By foxnews

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 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 selections were a nod to McIlroy's personal and golfing life.

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Dinner guests will choose from a menu sure to satisfy virtually any foodie, with appetizer options including rock shrimp tempura, peach and ricotta flatbread, bacon-wrapped dates and the aforementioned elk sliders with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli.

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Next is the first course, featuring yellowfin tuna carpaccio. McIlroy drew inspiration for the dish from he 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.

He added that the bacon-wrapped dates listed on the appetizer list are a nod to what his mother makes.

"My mom does these really, really nice dates stuffed with goat's cheese wrapped in bacon. So, I've put those on the appetizers list."

McIlroy said he was avoiding excessive elk consumption.

"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 it into the appetizers. So, I'm doing grilled elk sliders, which I think is fun."

For the main course, attendees can choose between wagyu filet mignon and seared salmon. Those will be paired with traditional Irish champ potatoes, Brussels sprouts and crispy Vidalia onion rings.

"For the sides, a lot of different sides, I've done traditional Irish champ. When I was a kid, I used to eat champ by the bowlful," the Northern Ireland native said.

Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce makes up the champion's dinner dessert option.

Augusta National houses a robust wine cellar. McIlroy selected a 2022 Domaine Leflaive 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 be served April 7. The first round of the Masters, the season's first major, tees off April 9. McIlroy will look to defend his first Masters title after becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam.

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