March 18 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy will return to Augusta National next month as reigning Masters champion, still relishing every moment of a title that took him over a decade to win and with a meticulously planned menu for the Champions Dinner.
The world number two became the sixth male golfer, and the first European, to complete the career Grand Slam when he beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff at Augusta last April, ending an 11-year wait for his fifth major and the Green Jacket that had so long eluded him.
"Defending the Masters Tournament is a pretty rare feat," the 36-year-old Northern Irishman told reporters on Wednesday, "and it's something that I would love to do."
He described the morning after his victory as unparalleled in his career. "I woke up and I just had to make sure that it wasn't a dream, people talk about those pinch-me moments and it really was like, 'did that really happen?'"
"I talk about the morning after getting the world number one and having this sort of empty feeling, I didn't have that with this. It just made me feel incredibly grateful for everything that's happened in my life," he added.
McIlroy's preparation for this year's event was disrupted when a back injury forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this month, but the Northern Irishman confirmed the issue was now resolved.
"I'm really pleased with how my body responded to that little setback," he said, adding that he planned to put in some work over the next few weeks before making further trips to Augusta National.
MENU BLENDS FAMILY AND FINE DINING
McIlroy, as host of the annual Champions Dinner, is crafting a menu that blends elements of his personal experiences with high-end cuisine.
The first course comes straight from Le Bernardin, the New York restaurant he and his wife count among their favourites: a yellowfin tuna carpaccio on a thin slice of French baguette with foie gras.
Appetisers include dates stuffed with goat cheese wrapped in bacon, a recipe from his mother, alongside grilled elk sliders, rock shrimp tempura, and a Georgia peach and ricotta flatbread with hot honey.
"I wanted to try to bring a little bit of local ingredients in," McIlroy said.
Main course options are wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon, with sides including traditional Irish champ — "when I was a kid I used to eat champ by the bowlful".
The wine selection, however, is the headline act.
A 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild anchors the evening. "That is the wine that I drank the night that I won the Masters, so obviously brings back some great memories."
The meal closes with a 1989 Chateau d'Yquem, his birth year. "I think every great meal deserved to be finished off with Chateau d'Yquem," he added. "It is like liquid gold."
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
