(Reuters) - Scottie Scheffler's menu for his Champions Dinner ahead of next month's Masters was revealed on Wednesday and the Texas native added a taste of nostalgia to go with many of the items featured when he first hosted the event.
Scheffler, speaking during a virtual press conference ahead his title defence at the April 10-13 Masters, said he wanted to incorporate dishes that had meaning.
"It's a little bit more of the same," said Scheffler. "It's my favorite foods, haven't quite changed too much but there's a little bit, I would say, more kind of nostalgic stuff."
Similar to 2023, the appetizers will be cheeseburger sliders served "Scottie-Style" -- with french fries on the patty -- and firecracker shrimp but Scheffler added "Papa Scheff's Meatball & Ravioli Bites" as a nod to his favourite meal growing up.
The world number one said chefs at Augusta National Golf Club will use his longtime coach Randy Smith's recipe as inspiration for the Texas-Style Chili first course.
As in 2023, the main course will be a choice of wood-fired cowboy ribeye or blackened redfish followed by a warm chocolate chip skillet cookie with vanilla bean ice cream.
"It should be a fun night, fun meal and very excited about being able to host a Champion's Dinner again and very excited to see what how it's prepared and what the chefs at Augusta pull off this year," Scheffler said.
A Masters tradition is the previous year's winner choosing what is served when former champions gather on the Tuesday of tournament week in the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club.
The tradition dates back to 1952 when Ben Hogan hosted the first one. Since then, some of the dining experiences have been more memorable than others.
After winning the 1988 Masters, Britain's Sandy Lyle served up Scottish specialty haggis, Fiji's 2000 champion Vijay Singh dished up one of the most popular meals with a Thai menu while Japan's Hideki Matsuyama's menu featuring sushi and wagyu beef in 2022 was another favorite.
Scheffler will bid to become only the fourth player to retain a Masters title and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02.
Scheffler's four-shot Masters victory in 2024 was one of the highlights of a remarkable season in which he won seven PGA Tour titles, an Olympic gold medal and the FedExCup.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)
