THE ANNUAL CHAMPIONS Dinner before the Masters is the peak of golf’s old-money stuffiness. But if you’ve earned a green jacket, you’ve earned the right to serve up whatever you want, traditions bedamned.
Most returning champions use the menu to showcase a little of their national flavours and serve up some dishes that are deliciously at odds with the up-tight Augusta ethos.
Sandy Lyle served haggis, Danny Willett offered up a Sunday roast of a Tuesday evening, Vijay Singh introduced Panang curry to the golf fraternity, the 22-year-old Tiger Woods asked for burgers and chips and Angel Cabrera – the absolute hero – brought Argentine barbecue to the table.
So, Sergio, what’ll we have?
International salad! Are you kidding me, Garcia? There have been Masters champions from 11 countries, being inspired by them doesn’t narrow this down enough to make it a thing. This is a cop out.
Okay, okay… breathe, food fans.
For main course there’s ‘Traditional Spanish Lobster Rice‘. Sounds fine, who doesn’t love paella? We just felt Garcia could have shown a bit of imagination here.
It’s not even the first time this decade that paella has been on the Masters menu (Phil Mickelson, 2011), take the platform to show that Spain has other food to offer.
For dessert, Garcia treated the room to his wife Angela’s Tres Leches Cake. The42 is not a regular Bake Off viewer, so this appears to be a sponge of some sort. Grand.
Hopefully this year’s green jacket can go to a much more worthy gourmand.
