One of the great traditions of The Masters is the Champions Dinner, and this year, Jon Rahm has the honor of hosting before he defends his title at Augusta National in a little over three weeks.
The Spaniard gets to choose the menu for the occasion, which will be attended by former champions and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley, when it takes place on Tuesday 9 April, two days before the action gets underway with the opening round of the first Major of the year.
Not surprisingly, Rahm has opted for a selection of food heavily inspired by his homeland and particularly the Basque Country. The meal will begin with a selection of tapas, including Lentejas Estofadas, or Mama Rahm’s Classic Lentil Stew. Other tapas options on the menu include Chistorra Con Patata, which is spicy Basque chorizo with potato and Croqueta de Pollo, or creamy chicken fritters with confit potatoes.
The Champions Dinner, served in honor of Mr. @JonRahmOfficial. #themasters pic.twitter.com/r9oalTrFtfMarch 19, 2024
Then it’s on to the first course of Ensalada de Txangurro, which is a Basque crab salad with potato, before a choice of two main courses - Chuleton a la Parrilla -Basque ribeye steak with Tudelo lettuce and piquillo peppers, or Rodaballo al Pil-Pil - turbot and Navarra white asparagus.
Finally, there is a dessert of Miljojas de Crema y Nata, which is puff pastry cake, custard and Chantilly cream.
The menu is markedly different from the one chosen by 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler last year. Back then, he opted for a four-course meal that paid homage to his home state of Texas, and included cheeseburger sliders before a desert of warm chocolate chip skillet cookie with milk and cookies ice cream. However, like Rahm's, it did also include ribeye steak, albeit with a Texan twist.
Rahm has the honor of hosting this year’s Champions Dinner thanks to his four-shot win over LIV golfers Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson in 2023.
Since then, the World No.3 has also joined the circuit, and the occasion will mark the second in a row where LIV Golf players who have won The Masters will attend alongside other former champions.
