The Masters Club Dinner: The Meal Worth a Thousand Words
The 2023 Masters Dinner (Augusta National)
Winning an official tournament is always a thrill for any athlete. The shiny trophy, the recognition of a lifetime dedicated to becoming the best, and the excitement of being honored are some of the perks that come with a triumph like that. However, the Augusta Masters has an added perk for its champions: deciding the menu for the annual Masters Champions dinner.
Every April, the winner from the previous year gets honored by selecting the whole menu for the Masters Club Dinner, held the Tuesday before the games begin. The attendees’ list consists of all the previous champions—hence the name—all clad in their Green Jackets, ready to kick off another tournament.
What makes this dinner so special is the meaning each player attributes to his meal choices. Scottie Scheffler was in charge of selecting this year’s menu, a task he’s familiar with since he did the same thing two years ago. The 2022 and 2024 winner of the Masters knows there’s no place like home, going with dishes like cheeseburger sliders (Scottie-style) and one of his dad’s signature meals as entrées.
“My dad’s meatballs made the menu. I think there’s a meatball-and-ravioli-type of dish that was always my favorite thing growing up. His best meal was always meatballs. So that’s going to be one of the appetizers.”
The 1997 Masters Dinner (Getty Images)
Ben Hogan started the Masters Club in 1952 and invited the other 10 previous winners to attend, as well as the tournament’s co-founders, with the intention to have a casual dinner, mentioning that “it would be pleasant for all past winners to gather to reminisce, swap banter and relax." Since then, the winners have kept the familiar feeling of the event through the menus they’ve chosen, sharing a piece of home with their fellow Club members.
To celebrate the upcoming Masters and start getting into the mood, here’s a compilation of some of the most memorable dishes that have been served at the Masters Club Dinner to give you a glimpse of the food range these golf peers enjoy at Augusta every year.
2024: Jon Rahm went for Iberian ham
The Spanish native brought some Basque flavor to the table, with a menu choice that consisted solely of dishes from his country. From tapas and pintxos to a creamy dessert, he made sure every bite of the night tasted like home.
“We made what would be a northern Spanish Basque country Bilbao menu and basically put in all of my favorites and even included a dish from my grandma.”
2022: Hideki Matsuyama was the main man
Hideki Matsuyama made history (World Press)
Hideki was the first Japanese player to win the Masters, and he made sure to honor that title by choosing a menu full of his homeland’s dishes. From sushi and nigiri to Wagyu beef and a Japanese strawberry shortcake, Matsuyama shared a taste of Japan with the elite members. However, what truly commemorated the night was his remarkable speech, which he memorized word by word in English to make sure everyone understood what that moment meant to him. About the special moment, Gary Player shared:
“He delivered the most terrific words. We all stood up and gave him a standing ovation. It was the first standing ovation for anyone in all my years going to the Champions Dinner.”
2018: Sergio Garcia, from Spain to the world
Just like Jon Rahm, Sergio decided to bring some of the most flavorful choices from his native Spain—recognized for their extraordinary cuisine—to Augusta. However, his menu also had a small nod to the rest of the club members by including the “International Salad,” which he explained when presenting his choices:
“We’re gonna have the International Salad to start with. We wanted to pay a little tribute to all the past champions. We’re gonna put an ingredient from each of the ten countries that have won the Masters.”
In case you’re wondering, up until then the winning countries were Spain, United States, South Africa, England, Germany, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Argentina, and Fiji.
The 1958 Masters Dinner (Getty Images)
2011: Phil Mickelson served a class act
For his third time as honoree of the night, Phil decided to use his menu-picking privileges to honor fellow Masters Club member Seve Ballesteros. The Spanish champion was unable to attend the dinner that year due to his unfortunate battle with cancer, so Phil made sure he was present at least through dishes from Seve’s native country. The Spanish-inspired soirée included green salad with vinaigrette, paella, filet mignon, and apple empanadas with ice cream for dessert. The gesture came from a place of deep respect for Seve, someone Phil mentioned had admired throughout his career.
"Here is a guy I looked up to as a kid, watched the way he played and loved the way he played and was drawn in by his charisma, and he didn't let me down at all. [...] Honouring Seve is easy and no big deal."
Sadly, Seve passed away a month later.
2010: Angel Cabrera, the beef king
The Argentinian had one thing on his mind when choosing his menu: beef, in every form possible. Beef empanadas, a variety of grilled meats, and a beef stew were among the dishes served to honor Angel’s 2009 win. 1968’s winner Bob Goalby praised the dinner afterwards, saying:
“Best piece of meat I’ve ever had. It was a rib-eye and it was delicious.”
1998: Tiger Woods went with what’s good
Tiger Woods after winning the Masters in 2002 (Augusta National)
Tiger has become an establishment in the golf world with five Masters under his belt, but back then, his career was only getting started. At 21 years old he became the youngest winner to sport the green jacket, and his dinner choice mirrored his youth. It was a simple yet delicious meal: cheeseburgers and grilled chicken sandwiches alongside french fries and milkshakes. When asked about his choice, Tiger had a fun and honest answer:
“Hey, it's part of being young, it's what I eat.”
1993: Fred Couples chose the road that led to Rome
Bernhard Langer after winning the famous Green Jacket for the first time in 1985 (Getty Images)
Bringing home to the table has been a longstanding tradition, and Fred was one of the first who got this tradition going. When his grandparents emigrated from Italy to the US, they changed the Coppola family name to Couples, yet their cultural inheritance remained. For his dinner, Fred decided to pay homage to his roots and went with chicken cacciatore with spaghetti on the side, a choice that’s said to have delighted his fellow Italian Club members.
1986: Bernhard Langer was the one who started it all
It’s believed Bernhard was the first one to personalize the Masters Club Dinner menu, unknowingly inaugurating the now-popular nostalgic tradition of bringing a piece of home with him to Augusta and sharing it with the rest of the attendees. The German decided to go with Wiener schnitzel and Black Forest cake, both traditional delicacies from his country. He won once more, but his next choice was not as reminiscent of home as this one.
The Masters Club Dinner has been a longstanding tradition that celebrates past and present winners and brings them all together in an intimate setting, where they can share stories, heartfelt moments, and most of all, an amazing meal. While the food might be an excuse to get together and kickstart the Masters week events, it is also an extension of the winner who chose it to share specifically with their peers, giving a glimpse into who they are and what this momentous occasion means to them. As the 2025 Augusta Masters approaches, we can’t wait to see who the next defending champion will be and what piece of themselves they will decide to share through an undoubtedly hearty meal.