Inside Rory McIlroy's Masters Dinner: Wagyu, Sticky Toffee Pudding and Fine Wine
Every year at Augusta National, the reigning Masters champion picks up a tab most of us will never see — hosting every living former winner for the annual Champions Dinner.
This year, 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy reportedly set a new standard that left even seasoned champions talking.
According to the Golf Channel, the wine bill alone cost more than $50,000. Other reports indicate a cost of more than $250 per plate. It is rumored to be the priciest Masters Champions Dinner ever.
Rory McIlroy’s Menu Had a Little Bit of Everything
McIlroy, who became the sixth golfer in history to win all four major championships at last year’s Masters Tournament, hosted the dinner on Tuesday, April 7. And he clearly put thought into every course.
Here’s what he served, according to the Masters:
- Appetizers: Peach and ricotta flatbread, rock shrimp tempura, bacon-wrapped dates and grilled elk sliders
- First course: Yellowfin tuna carpaccio with foie gras, toasted baguette and chives
- Main course: Choice of wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon with traditional Irish champ, sauteed brussels sprouts, glazed carrots with brown butter and crispy vidalia onion rings
- Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding
“I was trying to achieve something that I would enjoy — and ties back to experiences that I’ve had — but also wanted it to be something that all the other people in that room would enjoy as well,” he said of the meal prior to the dinner on Tuesday.
When asked why he didn’t lean more into his Irish roots, McIlroy kept it light: “People keep asking me, ‘Why didn’t you go more Irish?’ And I said, ‘Because I want to enjoy the dinner as well.’”
Rory McIlroy’s Wine Selection Told a Story
The four bottles McIlroy hand-picked weren’t just expensive — each one carried personal meaning.
The lineup included 2015 Salon S Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, 2022 Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet, 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild and 1989 Château d’Yquem.
The Domaine, for example, was the first white wine McIlroy ever liked — so it only made sense that he include it in the lineup.
The 1990 Chateau was what he drank the night he won the Masters for the first time in 2025. And the 1989 Chateau? A nod to his birth year.
“You know, 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,” McIlroy said of the selection, per Golf Monthly.
Former champion Ian Woosnam was clearly impressed by the selection. “The wine was excellent,” he said, per the Golf Channel. “Had a lovely flavor to it, lovely body to it, complemented the food brilliantly.”
It’s unclear how many bottles they went through, but three of those four wines cost more than $1,000 per bottle. The 1989 Château cost around $500 per bottle.
Rory McIlroy Now Has His Eyes Set on Thursday
For McIlroy, the night carried weight beyond the food and wine. He treated it like it might be his only chance to host — while hoping it won’t be.
“I said it in the room last night, but all of us in that room were the envy of the sports world last night,” McIlroy said, per the Golf Channel.
“Everyone else would love to be in that room, and I certainly don’t ever want to take it for granted. I tried to treat it as if it was the only time I would host a dinner. Hopefully, it’s not,” he added.
The 2026 Masters Tournament tees off on Thursday, April 9 and concludes on Sunday, April 12. There are 91 players — including 18 past champions — in the field. Only one will win.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
