Rory McIlroy highlighted the absence of Tiger Woods during his speech at the 2026 Masters Champions Dinner, noting that the tournament misses the golf legend.
Champions Dinner Tradition and Menu
As per Augusta National tradition, the defending champion hosts past green jacket winners in the clubhouse, selecting the menu for the evening. Guests enjoyed starters including peach and ricotta flatbread, rock shrimp tempura, bacon-wrapped dates, and grilled elk sliders, followed by Yellowfin tuna carpaccio as the first course.
Notable Absences
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson missed the event. Mickelson recently stepped away from golf for an extended period due to a family health issue. Woods traveled abroad for treatment after facing a DUI charge stemming from a car crash near his Florida home last month.
Insights from Past Champions
Tommy Aaron, the 1971 Masters champion, shared: “Rory kept it brief. He said that we miss Tiger and that he has to do whatever he has to do to take care of himself.”
Charles Coody, another 1971 winner, added: “Rory said all the right things. He didn’t get emotional, but he gave a great welcome speech about how much he appreciates being here.”
McIlroy’s Title Defense
McIlroy begins his Masters title defense on Thursday, paired with world No. 2 Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell. He aims to join the elite group of just four players to repeat as champion.
Preparing the Speech and Menu
McIlroy revealed he devoted more thought to his speech than the menu. “I’ve thought about it a lot. Honestly, I’ve probably thought about that (the speech) more than the food,” he stated.
He addressed the absences: “So many legends of the game there. Obviously there’s two (Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson) that won’t be with us this year, which is a shame, but I’m sure they will be with us in the future.”
McIlroy plans to follow Ben Crenshaw’s guidance: “Talking in front of that group, I want to say the right things and make sure I get my feelings across of how grateful I am to be a part of that group. I’ll follow Ben Crenshaw’s lead. I know he’ll direct the run of show a little bit, but I have a few remarks that I want to make.”
On the menu selection, he explained: “I was trying to achieve something that I would enjoy but – and it ties back to experiences that I’ve had – also wanted it to be something that all the other people in that room would enjoy as well. People keep asking me, ‘Why didn’t you go more Irish?’ And I said, ‘Because I want to enjoy the dinner as well’. It’s been fun to work through. The fun part was getting access to that wonderful wine cellar that they have.”
