Masters Champions Dinner History and Menus Golflink.com

Masters winners at 1997 Champions Dinner

One of golf’s greatest mysteries is the Masters Champions Dinner. The event takes place on the Tuesday evening of Masters week and the guest list is an exceptional A–list of golf royalty. What happens once those doors shut is not widely talked about, but the public is privileged to the menu. Here is a history of the most famous meal in golf.

Dinner Overview

The Champions Dinner is held at Augusta National Golf Club the evening of the Tuesday practice round, which is also the night before the famous Masters Par 3 Contest. The only attendees are living Masters champions and the current chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.

A small number of selected media members are allowed to take pictures and videos for a very short period of time before the doors are closed.

The Champions Dinner was first introduced by Ben Hogan in 1952 as a way for the special collection of individuals to gather before the current year’s tournament began. Everyone who attends the Masters Champions Dinner wears their ceremonial Green Jacket, slacks, dress shirt, and tie.

Leading up to the Masters, a lot of people keep an eye on the menu for the Champions Dinner. The outgoing Masters champion selects the menu, which traditionally reflects his origins and personal taste. The dinner is also paid for by the outgoing champion. With the winning payout over $2 million, it shouldn’t be a tough tab to cover.

Prior to 1986, the dinner menu wasn’t public knowledge the way that it is today. In addition, menu details have become more known as years have gone on. Here is a glimpse at what has been served from 1986-2021.

Year	Outgoing Champion	Menu
2024	Jon Rahm	Basque crab salad, potato; choice of Basque ribeye with tudela lettuce and piquillo peppers, or Turbot with navarra white asparagus; Puff pastry cake, custard, and chantilly cream
2023	Scottie Scheffler	Cheeseburger sliders and firecracker shrimp, tortilla soup, Texas ribeye steak or blackened redfish, family style mac & cheese, jalapeno creamed corn, fried brussels sprouts, seasoned fries, warm chocolate chip skillet cookie
2022	Hideki Matsuyama	Sushi, sashimi and nigiri, yakitori chicken skewers, miso glazed black cod, Miyazaki wagyu, sansho daikon ponzu, Japanese strawberry shortcake.
2021	Dustin Johnson	Garden or Caesar salad, filet mignon with herb butter, miso sea bass, mashed potatoes, spring vegetables, peach cobbler, apple pie, vanilla ice cream.
2020	Tiger Woods	Augusta Roll (sushi), steak and chicken fajitas, grilled vegetables, refried beans, Mexican rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, flan, churros with chocolate sauce, sopapillas.
2019	Patrick Reed	Caesar or wedge salad, bone-in rib eye with herb butter, macaroni and cheese, creamed spinach, corn creme Brule, steamed broccoli, Tiramisu, vanilla bean creme brulee with chocolate crunch, praline cheesecake.
2018	Sergio Garcia	International Salad, Spanish lobster rice, Angela Garcia's tres leches cake.
2017	Danny Willett	Mini cottage pies, prime rib, roasted potatoes and vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, gravy, apple crumble with vanilla custard.
2016	Jordan Spieth	Local greens salad, Texas barbecue of beef brisket, smoked half chicken, pork ribs, barbeque baked beans, bacon and chive potato salad, sauteed green beans, grilled zucchini, roasted yellow squash, chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream.
2015	Bubba Watson	Caesar salad, grilled chicken breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, confetti cake, vanilla ice cream.
2014	Adam Scott	Artichoke and arugula salad with calamari, Australian Wagyu beef New York Strip steak, Moreton Bay lobster, sauteed spinach, onion cream mashed potatoes, strawberry and passion fruit pavlova, Anzac biscuit and vanilla sundae.
2013	Bubba Watson	Caesar salad, grilled chicken breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, confetti cake, vanilla ice cream.
2012	Charl Schwartzel	Chilled seafood bar, South African barbecue of lamb chops, steaks, and South African sausages, Dauphinoise potatoes, vanilla ice cream sundae.
2011	Phil Mickelson	Seafood paella, Machado-topped filet mignon, salad, asparagus, and tortillas, ice cream-topped apple empanada.
2010	Angel Cabrera	Argentine Asado barbecue of chorizo, blood sausage, short ribs, and beef filets, mollejas sweetbreads.
2009	Trevor Immelman	Bobotie meat pie, sosaties chicken skewer, spinach salad, milk tart, South African wine.
2008	Zach Johnson	Iowa beef, Florida shrimp.
2007	Phil Mickelson	Barbecued ribs, chicken, sausage, pulled pork, cole slaw.
2006	Tiger Woods	Stuffed jalapenos, quesadillas, salsa and guacamole, green salad, steak fajitas, chicken fajitas, Mexican rice, refried beans, apple pie, ice cream.
2005	Phil Mickelson	Lobster ravioli in tomato cream sauce, Caesar salad, garlic bread.
2004	Mike Weir	Canadian wild game of elk, wild boar, and arctic char, Canadian beer.
2003	Tiger Woods	Porterhouse steak, chicken, sushi, sashimi, salads, crab cakes, asparagus, mashed potatoes, chocolate truffle cake.
2002	Tiger Woods	Porterhouse steak, chicken, sushi.
2001	Vijay Singh	Thai seafood tom kah, chicken panang curry, baked sea scallops, rack of lamb, Chilean sea bass with chili sauce, lychee sorbet.
2000	Jose Maria Olazabal	Beef filet with red wine sauce, romaine lettuce with olive oil and vinegar, papitas fritas, shallots.
1999	Mark O'Meara	Chicken fajitas, steak fajitas, sushi, tuna sashimi.
1998	Tiger Woods	Cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries, milkshakes.
1997	Nick Faldo	Fish and chips, tomato soup.
1996	Ben Crenshaw	Texas barbeque.
1995	Jose Maria Olazabal	Paella, hake, tapas.
1994	Bernhard Langer	Turkey with dressing, black forest torte.
1993	Fred Couples	Chicken cacciatore.
1992	Ian Woosnam	Leek and potato soup, leg of Welsh lamb, apple pie, ice cream.
1991	Nick Faldo	Shepherd's Pie.
1990	Nick Faldo	Shepherd's Pie.
1989	Sandy Lyle	Haggis, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips.
1988	Larry Mize	Not known.
1987	Jack Nicklaus	Not known.
1986	Bernhard Langer	Wiener schnitzel.

Champions Dinner Fun Facts

The youngest player to have selected a menu for the Champions Dinner was Tiger Woods after winning his first Green Jacket in 1997 at the age of 21.
The oldest player is Jack Nicklaus, who won in 1986 at the age of 46.
Dustin Johnson had less than five months to plan his Champions Dinner menu after winning the Masters in November of 2020. The event was postponed to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 event took place in its traditional month of April.
If a past champion does not want to eat from the chosen menu they can order from the regular menu at Augusta National, which typically includes varieties of chicken, steak, and seafood.
In 1989, Sandy Lyle wore a traditional Scottish kilt to the dinner, of which he was the outgoing champion and host.
Byron Nelson was reportedly thrilled with Tiger Woods’ selection of burgers and fries in 1998 because he wasn’t allowed to eat that at home.
In 2011, Phil Mickelson paid homage to Seve Ballesteros with his traditional Spanish menu. Ballesteros was battling cancer and sadly passed the following month.
In 2018, Sergio Garcia had International Salad, which featured flavors from all origins of Masters champions. He also had his wife, Angela's, tres leches cake.
Bubba Watson's menus in 2013 and 2015 were identical as were Nick Faldo's in 1990 and 1991.