It took Rory McIlroy a long time to win the Masters. He's prepared a Champions Dinner that's worth the wait.
McIlroy claimed his first Masters last year in one of the most stirring triumphs in golf history. Already one of the game's greatest players, McIlroy had fought for well over a decade to win the elusive green jacket, and with it an array of honors and perks. Among those: the right to host a Champions Dinner the next year for past winners of the Masters.
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Each year's champion has the honor of choosing the menu for his dinner, and McIlroy has created a masterpiece. Unveiled Wednesday morning, it's a combination of his favorite dishes, a few nods to local Georgia culture, and a collection of fine wines to complement the meal.
Appetizers include Grilled Elk Sliders, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Rock Shrimp Tempura and Peach & Ricotta Flatbread. A first course of Yellowfin Tuna Carpaccio precedes a main course of Wagyu Filet Mignon or Seared Salmon, with Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.
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"In the buildup to the Masters last year, I was eating a lot of elk," McIlroy said Wednesday. "I got this big shipment of elk and I was eating a lot of that. 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."
The Yellowfin Tuna dish comes from one of McIlroy's favorite restaurants, Le Bernardin in New York. Sides include Irish champ, a mashed potato dish McIlroy loved growing up, and Vidalia onion rings from nearby Vidalia, Georgia. Wine includes a 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild from Pauillac, Bordeaux.
"That is the wine that I drank the night that I won the Masters," McIlroy said, "so obviously brings back some great memories."
McIlroy conceded that he never thought of an exact menu before winning the Masters — "It would be pretty presumptuous to have a menu in your head before you actually win the tournament" — but did want to put together a menu to honor his own favorites and satisfy all the past champions.
"Can't wait to host the dinner on Tuesday night," he added, "and obviously be a part of that dinner for many, many years to come."
Unfortunately, the only way into this dinner is to win a green jacket of your own. So, no luck this year, but if you workreallyhard, maybe there'll be a seat for you at the table in 2028.