he menu for the most famous dinner in golf is officially set.
On Wednesday afternoon, Augusta National announced the cuisine for the annual Masters Champions Dinner, revealing the picks selected by first-time champ (and world No. 1) Scottie Scheffler.
The theme of the menu would appear to be Southern barbecue, with the typically understated Scheffler returning to his Texas roots with what will surely be an elevated interpretation of a classic cookout.
To start, Scheffler will serve an appetizer course of cheeseburger sliders (“Served Scottie-Style”) and firecracker shrimp, followed by warm Tortilla soup garnished with avocado, crispy blue tortilla strips, sour cream, cilantro and lime.
Attendees will choose between Texas ribeye or blackened redfish for their mains, which will come with a host of traditional southern sides (mac & cheese, jalapeño creamed corn, fried Brussels sprouts and seasoned fries) served family style.
It’s always important to leave room for dessert, and particularly so on Scottie’s menu, which features a gooey chocolate chip cookie served on a warm skillet with milk-and-cookies ice cream, perhaps a riff off the famed ice cream served at New York City’s Milk Bar.
The Champions Dinner is a decades-old tradition. Each year, the club works with the previous year’s champion to build a menu for the dinner, which is held on the Tuesday of tournament week.
Traditionally, first-time winners have chosen menus reflective of their heritage and upbringing. Last year, Hideki Matsuyama’s Champions Dinner featured a dizzying blend of high-end Japanese cuisine, ranging from sushi to prized Japanese A5 Wagyu Ribeye.
Last month, Scheffler admitted to reporters at the Genesis Invitational that he remained ”clueless” about several details of the dinner.
“I don’t know exactly what you’re supposed to say that night. I haven’t really gotten too much info,” he said. “I’ve got to talk to a few of the guys and figure out what actually goes on that night because I’m still kind of clueless. I’m hoping that it will be a fun night.”
The 26-year-old said he was working in concert with his wife, Meredith, in building the menu.
“I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do, but it will be fun. It’s fun kind of planning it out. My wife, Meredith, she’s very creative,” Scheffler said. “She’s been helping me kind of think my way through it because I’m not really good at that, so she’s been helping me out.”
Scheffler, who four-putted the final hole of the 2022 Masters and still won by three, will host the Champions Dinner at a controversial time. His first dinner will also be the first since the formation of LIV Golf, with some LIVers (including Phil Mickelson) expected in attendance.
“Gathering all those guys together in a room, I mean, it should be a lot of fun,” Scheffler said. ”It’s an historic group of people, Masters champions, and I’m sure that we’ll all put our personal opinions aside and just have a good night and just kind of enjoy what the night really is.”
The 2023 Champions Dinner will be held on the second floor of the Augusta National clubhouse on the evening of April 4.
Source: Golf News
