The great and the good of golf gathered for a last supper on Tuesday night at Jon Rahm’s Masters Champions Dinner, one of the final traditions before the action finally begins at Augusta.
Defending champion Rahm welcomed his guests with an Iberian themed menu that included a deeply personal touch he wanted to share with his fellow champions, ahead of his quest to again conquer one of the finest courses of them all.
The 29-year-old Spaniard started with a mix of tapas and pintxos, including spicy Basque chorizo, and ‘Mama Rahm’s Classic Lentil Stew’ – and dish made exactly to his grandmother’s recipe by chef Jose Andres, who helped Rahm design the menu.
‘He called my grandma for the recipe,’ Rahm revealed last month when speaking of the effort Andres has gone to for the dinner. ‘If somebody doesn’t like it, please, just don’t tell me. Don’t tell anyone, actually. It means a little bit too much to me to hear it.’
The Rahm family recipe was followed by crab salad before offering a choice of ribeye stake or turbot and concluded with puff pastry cake, served with custard and Chantilly cream.
Jon Rahm (center) hosted Masters winners young and old for the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night at Augusta
The 29-year-old’s Spanish-inspired menu (left) includes ‘Mama Rahm’s Classic Lentil Stew’ – his grandma’s recipe
Tonight, we celebrated Jon Rahm’s outstanding accomplishment last year and also remembered our friend Jackie Burke Jr. Hard to believe I am now this table’s elder statesman until my time is up. Will cherish every moment. GP
�� @TheMasters pic.twitter.com/0VJBWN6UP5
— GARY PLAYER (@garyplayer) April 10, 2024
‘I wanted to put a little bit of my heritage and my family into this dinner, which is going to make it even more special,’ Rahm said. ‘Hopefully I get to do it again, but I wanted to make sure the Basque heritage was there.’
Gary Player, who at 88 is now the oldest living Masters champion, was among the legends who paid tribute to Rahm on social media on Tuesday night, writing after the dinner: ‘Tonight, we celebrated Jon Rahm’s outstanding accomplishment last year and also remembered our friend Jackie Burke Jr.
‘Hard to believe I am now this table’s elder statesman until my time is up. Will cherish every moment.’
Larry Mize, the 1987 winner, told Golfweek: ‘It was a great night – an emotional night. Ben (Crenshaw) made sure that tonight was all about Jon, Seve (Ballasteros – Rahm’s countryman) and Jackie Burke.’
Burke died on January 19 at the age of 100, only 10 days before his 101st birthday. He won the 1956 Masters.
The tradition of the Masters dinner goes back to 1952, when defending champion Ben Hogan formed the idea, calling for a ‘stag party’ of past Masters winners. The dinner that year was steak and potatoes but as time has gone on, winners typically choose a menu that reflects their roots.
‘Everybody I talked to seems very excited about the menu, which, if anything, has put a lot more pressure on me, even though I’m not cooking,’ Rahm said before his big night. ‘I’m definitely a little nervous.’
Rahm, of course, hosts the dinner as the most notable recruit of the Saudi-backed LIV tour. He is now the figurehead of the rebel circuit that has plunged the game into civil war.
Rahm won the second major of his career last year at Augusta and is among the favorites to defend his title this time around
But a year later, the Spaniard Rahm rolls up to Augusta as the figurehead of the Saudi-backed rebel circuit in LIV Golf
Rahm pictured in discussion with Rory McIlroy on Tuesday – his close friend and at times, LIV’s fiercest critic
As the key names made sure to play happy families at the dinner table, Rahm will have at least been flanked by fellow LIV rebels in Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia on the night.
Rahm made a $500million move to LIV Golf in December, meaning two of the four reigning major winners have left the PGA Tour. Brooks Koepka, twice a runner-up at Augusta, won the 2023 PGA Championship.
Speaking on Sunday after LIV Golf Miami, Rahm admitted it would be a ‘great story’ if one of the 13 LIV players going to the Masters can emerge victorious at Augusta National.
The Spaniard said: ‘I can’t tell you that I’m thinking about the players who should or shouldn’t be there.
‘I think I have enough on my plate going into next week and trying to win another one.
‘It’ll be a great story if one of us were to do it and it would be great to support it but not that it’s going to be in my mind, no.’
The dinner is strictly for Masters champions – there were 33 in attendance in total for Rahm’s big night – and Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National.
There were two champions missing on the night – Angel Cabrera is barred from entering the United States after he was jailed for over two years for violence against two ex-girlfriends.
Rahm played a practice round on Tuesday as he honed his preparations for the first major of the year this week
Rahm begins his title defense on Thursday morning and tees off alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap
Sandy Lyle, meanwhile, missed the dinner because his wife Jolanda is unwell with inner ear issues.
Rahm and his fellow competitors at Tuesday night’s dinner return to Augusta on Wednesday for the par-three contest before the action finally gets underway on Thursday.
Scottie Scheffler is most people’s favorite to emerge victorious on Sunday, in what would be his second green jacket. Rory McIlroy, who of course has never won at Augusta, is also high in the running alongside Rahm and his LIV ally, Brooks Koepka.
Rahm tees off Thursday alongside former US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap at 10:30am local time.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
