As any golf fan knows, the Masters is every bit a gastronomical event as it is an athletic one. Sure, we're all waiting to see who wins the trophy at the end of it all, but we're also quite busy noshing on pimiento cheese and egg salad sandwiches while doing so.
And then, of course, there's the exclusive Champions Dinner, a winners-only event wherein the previous year's victor hosts a feast (and picks up the tab) for all the green jacket owners that came before him. You can only get a seat at the table if you've won, but the menus each champion selects are thankfully made public for fans to review ... and critique.
Ahead of Rory McIlroy's long-awaited meal, for which the golfer will serve grilled elk sliders, wagyu filet mignon, and sticky toffee pudding, among other delicious dishes, we've taken the liberty of analyzing and then ranking the top 10 Champions Dinner menus dating back to José María Olazábal in 2000, all organized according to our own impeccable culinary tastes.
Bon appétit!
The Best Masters Champions Dinner Menus, Ranked
1. Vijay Singh, 2001
As this list will soon make clear, many a victor has tailored his menu to his culture since the idea first caught on in the '80s. But perhaps no winner has done so as successfully as Vinjay Singh, who hosted his dinner in 2001.
Singh, born in Fiji, employed a husband-and-wife duo to regale his guests with a true Thai feast, all of which was served family style. The menu included sea scallops in garlic sauce, chicken panang curry, and Thai tom kha (a soup), among other dishes, and is largely regarded as one of the most beloved Champions Dinner menus in history. Because of this, it takes the cake in our rankings, too.
“You know my diet and healthy-choice approach,” Gary Player said of the evening's fare. “I didn’t usually eat spicy dishes, but I really enjoyed Vijay’s selection.”
2. Hideki Matsuyama, 2022
A quick scroll through menu pasts will reveal no shortage of wagyu beef, and for good reason —it's both delicious and a crowd-pleaser. But we cannot let that prevalence discount the mastery that was Hideki Matsuyama's 2022 carte du jour, a strong contender for the No. 2 slot.
The meal began with a selection of assorted sushi, sashimi and nigiri, as well as yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), before progressing to miso-glazed black cod and a best-in-the-world Miyazaki Wagyu for the main. The 11-time PGA Tour winner then ended the night with Japanese strawberry shortcake, which was surely as delicious as it sounds. And the meal wasn't even the best part of the evening, according to those in attendance—the typically mum Hideki also gave a brief speech in English, which shocked and thrilled his fellow champions.
“No notes. You could tell he had practiced," Jordan Spieth said at the time. "He cared about what he was saying. You could tell it was a proud moment. Even for that dinner, it was one of the more special moments."
To honor Japan's first champion, Hideki Matsuyama's 2022 Champions Dinner menu. #themasters pic.twitter.com/2N42mU0Zja
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 5, 2022
3. Jon Rahm, 2024
Jon Rahm did everything right when he hosted the Champions Dinner in 2024, after winning the green jacket in 2023. Not only did he honor his heritage with a menú del día that featured everything from jamon ibérico to traditional Spanish tortilla, but he also paid tribute to his Bilbao-area roots with a Basque crab salad for the first course and a Basque ribeye for the main (a fish dish was also offered). The night then ended with milhojas, a Latin American dessert crafted from sheets of puff pastry.
Simple, individual, and varied—what's not to love?
The Champions Dinner, served in honor of Mr. @JonRahmOfficial. #themasters pic.twitter.com/r9oalTrFtf
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 19, 2024
4. Bubba Watson, 2013 and 2015
The inimitable Bubba Watson served the same menu both times he won in Augusta: a Caesar salad, chicken breast, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and confetti cake plus vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Compared with Hideki's A5 wagyu and Rahm's Basque ribeye, Watson's selections were decidedly less grand. In fact, upon inspection, this feels less like a Champions Dinner meal and more like something Watson would eat on an average weeknight. But that might be why we like it so much—it is disarmingly casual and charmingly American. There is something inherently rebellious about serving confetti cake in such an exclusive room.
What a night! Dinner menu. #Blessed pic.twitter.com/GuiU40N3XI
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) April 10, 2013
5. Phil Mickelson, 2011
The magic of Mickelson's 2011 menu lay not in its contents, but in its meaning: rather than craft a feast that catered to his tastes, Mickelson used his third time in the Augusta spotlight to honor Seve Ballesteros, who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer at the time. In tribute to the Spanish golfer, Mickelson served up paella, prime rib with manchego cheese, and gazpacho salad.
"I wanted to kind of honor him," Mickelson said at the time. "But unfortunately I don't think he's going to be able to make it. So our thoughts and prayers are going to be with him that evening."
Ballestros died May 7, 2011.
6. Patrick Reed, 2019
Where a few different champions have leaned into American BBQ in recent years, Southerner Patrick Reed opted for a slightly different side of the region's quintessential cuisine. Indeed, his take felt more like an homage to Southern comfort food than back-home barbecue. Although he gets points docked for including the overdone Caesar to start, he also offered a wedge salad with onions, tomatoes, bacon and buttermilk vinaigrette. Then, for the main course, he served prime cowboy ribeye (or fish, upon request), accompanied by macaroni and cheese, creamed spinach, steamed broccoli, and corn créme brûlée (as presumably a cornbread stand-in). We'd guess everyone needed a nap after this one, which is always a sign of a job well done.
I’m down with tonight’s Champions menu at #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/lP3dbpVJAi
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) April 9, 2019
7. Danny Willett, 2017
The internet loves to dunk on the culinary tastes (or perhaps lack thereof?) of the British, who aren't exactly revered for their gastronomical innovations. That in mind, props must be given to 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett, who highlighted some unimpeachable, and rather cozy, British delicacies on his menu in 2017: mini cottage pies to start, a traditional Sunday Roast as the main, and apple crumble for dessert. That's about as English as it gets in Georgia.
Champions dinner by Yorkshire 🥂🍴 pic.twitter.com/H2uMSE2sZR
— Danny Willett (@Danny_Willett) April 4, 2017
8. Ángel Cabrera, 2010
For the Augusta champions with sensitive palettes (read: the picky eaters), there is always the option of ordering a different dish from the kitchen should they find themselves unenthused with the evening's fare. But we'd bet very few, if any, took the club up on that when it was Angel Cabrera's turn to host.
The Argentine golfer opted for a full, five-course Argentinian barbecue spread, complete with pork sausage and beef ribs, among other dishes. It gets a spot on the top 10 for sheer individuality (not a Caesar salad in sight!).
9. Charl Schwartzel, 2012
As you've surely gathered by now, there is lots of overlap from one Champions Dinner menu to another. But even where South African golfer Charl Schwartzel's banquet crossed into familiar territory, it did so with a twist of its own, thus earning it a spot on this list. For appetizers, Schwartzel's diners were treated to an iced seafood display, international cheese & crudité and "Charl's Featured Specialties," which included sliced biltong (a South African jerky), droëwors (an air-dried sausage, similar to biltong) and Philadelphia cream cheese. Guaranteed that most at the table tried something new that night.
Then, after a Caesar salad, champions dined on a South African BBQ spread, complete with filet mignon, lamb chops, chicken breast, and boerewors, a traditional sausage. The feast was capped with a vanilla ice cream sundae.
Tonight is the Champions Dinner at Augusta National, this is the menu Charl Schwartzel chose in 2012: pic.twitter.com/2ggmMVL58S
— Golf Digest S-Africa 🇿🇦 (@GolfDigestSA) April 7, 2015
10. Scottie Scheffler, 2023
Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion and a Texas native, went with a pub-grub, Tex-Mex approach when he hosted his first dinner back in 2023. You could order a replica of this whole meal at Applebee's, but—much like Watson's feasts in 2013 and 2015—that's also what's so great about it. It was down-to-earth and simple, but just curated enough. Plus, the tortilla soup addition was quite endearing.
Served in Honor of Mr. Scottie Scheffler. #themasters pic.twitter.com/AbpHBJ4MgN
— The Masters (@TheMasters) March 15, 2023
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Masters 2026: Ranking the 10 Best Champions Dinner Menus Ahead of Rory McIlroy's Feast.
