Imagine sitting down to dinner with the legends of golf, the players who have conquered Augusta National and claimed the coveted Green Jacket. Sounds incredible, right? Well, every Tuesday during Masters week, past champions gather for one of the most exclusive and undeniably cool nights in the sport: the Champions Dinner. It’s a tradition unlike any other, initiated back in 1952 by the great Ben Hogan. In this tradition, the winner from the previous year not only hosts but also picks up the tab and, more importantly, sets the menu!
While early dinners might have featured more standard fare, things became a bit more interesting starting in 1986 when champions began honoring their heritage with traditional dishes. Bernhard Langer, hailing from West Germany, opted for Wiener schnitzel. A solid choice, fitting for a champion! But the tradition of bringing a taste of home really took off, sometimes leading to some truly unforgettable — and perhaps challenging—culinary experiences for the esteemed guests.
Take Sandy Lyle, for example, the son of a Scottish club pro. In 1989, he dared to serve haggis! Yes, that traditional Scottish dish combining sheep’s heart, lungs, and liver with oatmeal, onions, and black pepper, simmered for hours in a sheep’s stomach. Talk about bold! Legends like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Arnold Palmer reportedly dug right in, accompanied by neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes), with Lyle sporting a kilt for the occasion. Lyle himself recalled, “The older guys like Nicklaus had been to Scotland and knew what haggis was. But the newer ones … they weren’t too sure about it.” It certainly made a statement!
Other international champions have brought their unique flavors to the table, much to the delight or perhaps surprise of the gathering. Jon Rahm treated guests to half a dozen tapas from his Spanish heritage, including one from his grandmother’s recipes. Hideki Matsuyama, the first champion from Japan, offered exquisite sashimi, nigiri sushi, and Wagyu beef. Angel Cabrera served up an Argentine asado with various cuts cooked over an open flame, while South Africans Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel introduced the group to bobotie, a spiced minced meat pie topped with egg custard, and a lamb-centric braai.
Mike Weir, the Canadian champion, featured elk, wild boar, and Arctic char, showcasing the bounty of his homeland. Vijay Singh brought the vibrant tastes of Thailand with dishes like tom kha gai soup, various curries, and seafood. These menus highlight the incredible diversity of the champions and add another layer of personality to the dinner, often presenting a truly unique culinary adventure for the attendees.
But not every menu is met with universal acclaim. While many winners, like Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods in past years, default to crowd-pleasing bone-in ribeye or porterhouse steaks, some choices spark more, let’s say, spirited discussions. According to Nick Faldo, the menu served by Bubba Watson in 2013 was memorable, perhaps not for the best reasons. He famously described it as being “panned by fellow champions” and like something you might find at a certain family entertainment center known for pizza and games.
Faldo didn’t hold back, recounting, “What was the worst one? Oh, it was Bubba, wasn’t it? When we had what seemed like a menu from Chuck E. Cheese. When we had a little hamburger, a little corn, and a little ice cream. I think we had a milkshake as well.” It seems that sometimes, keeping it simple can go a little too simple for a gathering of the world’s best golfers. It just goes to show that even at the most prestigious dinner in golf, tastes can vary wildly!
Speaking of varied tastes and potential surprises, this year’s host, Scottie Scheffler, brought a touch of Texas to Augusta National. His menu included meaty chili with jalapenos and a wood-fired cowboy ribeye. While there’s no explicit mention of anyone needing a fire extinguisher after the chili, the inclusion of jalapenos certainly adds a potential kick to the proceedings, proving that even standard choices can have a spicy twist! All but three of the 35 living Masters winners were in attendance to experience Scheffler’s Texas-inspired spread.
Looking ahead, anticipation is already building for what Rory McIlroy will serve next year, having won the Masters in a playoff last month to complete his career Grand Slam. Rory, the first player from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland to win the Masters, has a world of culinary options. While Irish soda bread and stew are obvious possibilities (and featured prominently in betting odds!), McIlroy himself has given some insight, noting, “I’ve been into wild game recently, so like venison, elk, stuff like that.” He added, “That sort of fueled my recent success, so maybe something like that.” Could we see a return to the wild game theme previously explored by Mike Weir?
A self-proclaimed insider, chef Michael Deane from a Belfast restaurant McIlroy frequents, spilled some beans to the Belfast Telegraph, suggesting Rory might favor seafood. Deane said, “I’ve looked after Rory for a long time… He would be very into shellfish like prawns, scallops, and crab.” He speculated, “I would say he’ll have seafood platters… Maybe with some different types of dressings. He likes oysters too; that would be the starter.” Whether it’s wild game, Irish classics, or fresh seafood platters, McIlroy has the chance to put his own stamp on this incredible tradition.
Beyond the menu, being a Masters champion comes with amazing perks—the Green Jacket (which you get to keep for a year before it lives permanently at Augusta), an engraved gold nameplate inside the jacket, a gold medal (given since 1934), a replica of the trophy, a gold locket, honorary membership to Augusta, and lifetime invitations to the Masters and the Champions Dinner itself. There’s also access to champions-only practice areas and locker rooms. And, of course, the significant prize money, which was $4.2 million this year.
It’s clear that winning the Masters is a pretty sweet deal, extending far beyond Sunday afternoon. And the Champions Dinner remains a fascinating microcosm of the winners themselves—their heritage, their personalities, and their willingness to either stick to tradition or, just maybe, serve up something completely unexpected that gets everyone talking long after the last bite. We can’t wait to see what culinary history is made next year!
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