Being Masters champion brings a whole lot of perks. Not only do winners receive a sizable paycheck and a replica of the verdant green blazer undergirded by more than 80 years of tradition. But they also get a taste of the high life — literally.
Those who capture's golf's ultimate prize are tasked with a rather crucial responsibility: setting the menu for the Master's Champions Dinner, a night for the stars in which all of golf's major dignitaries huddle beneath one roof on the eve of the Masters. Their only requirement is a simple one: make sure to wear that famous green jacket.
Past winners have made sure to leave their mark on the event. Hideki Matsuyama showed off his palate for Wagyu beef in 2022, while Scottie Scheffler opted to an All-American feast last year.
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2023 champion Jon Rahm is taking on the responsibility this time around. And much like his predecessors, he's hoping to pen a love letter of sorts to the meals of his youth.
Here's a look at what some of golf's greatest competitors will be feasting on during this year's Masters Champions Dinner.
Masters Champions Dinner menu 2024
Rahm is one of Spain's greatest golf imports. Unsurprisingly, he's bringing some Spanish flair to the Masters Champions Dinner.
Feast your eyes on the spread that Rahm has prepared for the festivities. Don't be surprised if your stomach starts to grumble uncontrollably.
- Tapas y Pintos (Starters and small snacks): Ibericos (Acord-fed Iberian ham cured pork loin), Idiazabal con Trufa Negra (Idiazabal cheese, black truffle), Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omelette, onions with confit potatoes), Chistorra con Patata (Spicy Basque chorizo and potato), Lentejas Estofadas (Mama Rahm’s classic lentil stew), Croqueta de Pollo (Creamy chicken fritters with confit potatoes).
- First course: Ensalada de Txangurro (Basque crab salad and potato)
- Main course: Chuleton a la Parrilla (Basque ribeye steak with Tudela lettuce and Piquillo peppers) or Rodaballo al Pil-Pil (Basque fish dish with turbot and Navarra white asparagus)
- Dessert: Milhojas de Crema y Nata (puff pastry cake with custard and chantilly cream)
Rahm hails from the Basque Country, a region which contains citizens of both Spain and France. It has its own distinct culture and traditions, one of which, it seems, revolves around mouth-watering food.
Rahm's meal comes present with some special alterations. For starters, Rodaballo al Pil-Pil tends to be served with cod where Rahm comes from. However, the Spaniard is not a fan of the flaky fish. So, he opted instead to serve turbot — a flatfish native to the Mediterranean Sea.
The dessert course, Milhojas de Crema y Nata, also holds a special place in Rahm's stomach; it was the cake he and his wife, Kelley, ate during their wedding.
"It was basically Kelley and I’s wedding cake,” Rahm said during a March 19 presser at Augusta, per Golf. “It varies a little bit where you’re doing it in Spain, but it’s absolutely one of my favorites.”
Famed Spanish-American chef Jose Andres helped craft the fixings. Andres even had to place a call with Rahm's grandmother to get her recipe for the lentil stew.
“If somebody doesn’t like it, please just don’t tell me,” Rahm said. “Don’t tell anyone actually. It means a little bit too much to me to hear it.”
What was served at the 2023 Masters Champions Dinner?
Fresh off winning the 2022 Masters in fairly comfortable fashion, American Scottie Scheffler was presented the honor of filling his fellow Masters champions' stomachs ahead of the 2023 tournament.
He performed his honor dutifully, curating a spread rooted in all sorts of red-blooded Americana:
- Appetizers: Cheeseburger sliders, firecracker shrimp
- First course: Tortilla soup
- Main course: Texas ribeye steak or blackened redfish
- Dessert: Warm chocolate chip cookie skillet
Who pays for the Masters Champions Dinner?
Creating such an ornate menu does come at a cost to the Masters champion. In addition to compiling the meal, the reigning Masters winner also has to foot the bill.
It's a responsibility that can catch some by surprise.
“That’s another thing I learned,” Rahm said on an episode of the podcast. “I went to [Augusta National] Chairman [Fred] Ridley, I was like, ‘What’s the budget for this?’ Whatever you want to spend! Great!”
Rahm netted a tournament-record $3.24 million in winnings on account of his Masters conquest last year. So, it shouldn't hurt his pockets too much, either way.
