Rory McIlroy has had a lot of time to think over his Masters Champions Dinner menu, including perhaps during last year’s extra playoff hole. And although things weren’t easy, McIlroy finally donned a green jacket in 2025, completing his career Grand Slam.
Perhaps the most pressure he’s felt since that monkey-off-the-back birdie putt is putting together a menu worthy of the previous Masters winners. You don’t want to be the guy who’s serving “Chuck E. Cheese” to Jack Nicklaus, Scottie Scheffler and a room full of golf greats.
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And so, finally, back in March, McIlroy revealed his upcoming menu, and it’s pretty luxurious (and expensive)! Among the wagyu filet mignon, the peach & ricotta flatbread and the sticky toffee pudding is an extra-special yellowfin tuna carpaccio, replicating a dish from his favorite New York City restaurant, Le Bernardin.
Located on 51st Street, a stone’s throw from Rockefeller Center, Chef Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin is a three-Michelin-starred French seafood restaurant currently ranked No. 9 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Over the years, McIlroy has spoken about how much this restaurant means to him, so it only felt right that we speak to Chef Ripert about joining Augusta National history:
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What’s your connection with Rory McIlroy and golf in general? Do you play golf?
I have to admit, I’m not much of a golfer myself and don’t know much about the sport firsthand. My connection to it really comes through guests like Rory who have dined with us over the years.
McIlroy has mentioned Le Bernardin as a favorite, and as a place where he got over his U.S. Open Pinehurst heartbreak in 2024. What does that mean to you?
It’s incredibly meaningful. At Le Bernardin, our goal is always to create an experience that brings comfort and joy to our guests, no matter what they’re going through. It’s a great compliment to the entire team to know Rory found this at the restaurant.
It’s been reported that the staff from Augusta National met with you at Le Bernardin to prepare the yellowfin tuna carpaccio dish just as Rory likes it for the Champions Diner. How’d that all come together?
While we would have loved the opportunity to collaborate with the Augusta culinary team, they have not visited Le Bernardin to work with our team ahead of the Masters Club Dinner. We have enjoyed having Rory at Le Bernardin over the years and look forward to welcoming him back again soon.
Where did this recipe come from? Why do you think it’s become a signature dish?
This method of preparing carpaccio is very interesting because it allows you to use tuna instead of meat, making it very light and refined, with a lot of flavor. It’s become a signature because it’s both simple and precise, and ultimately, it’s always about letting the tuna be the true star.
How does it feel to now be a part of Masters history?
It’s certainly an honor to be mentioned in the context of the Masters. To have a dish associated with that moment is very special and a testament to the reach of a meal at Le Bernardin beyond the restaurant.
Chef José Andrés has called McIlroy’s wine selection “probably the best” in the history of Augusta National. What do you think about the choices? What does it say about McIlroy?
It shows Rory has a very refined sense of taste and a genuine appreciation for the dining experience as a whole. The meal is not just about the food, but the dialogue between both the food and the wine.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
