A Masters dinner unlike any other was hosted by Scottie Scheffler on Tuesday night as the greats, the good and the unpopular gathered for the first Major of the golf calendar.
Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson and Sergio Garcia were the LIV rebels in the room hosting World No. 1 Scheffler’s Texas-themed Champions Dinner.
The Saudi-backed LIV tour is deeply unpopular with those on the PGA, but stars from both circuits mix for the Majors – but no one sees the rivals as close together as they do at Augusta.
Scheffler started the dinner by offering appetizers of cheeseburger sliders, served “Scottie-style,” plus firecracker shrimp with sweet Thai chili and sriracha mayo.
He followed that up with Tortilla Soup served with avocado, crispy blue tortilla strips, sour cream, cilantro and lime.
Scottie Scheffler (center, front row) hosted a Texas-themed Masters dinner Tuesday night
Scheffler pictured with Tiger Woods – himself a five-time winner – at his Augusta dinner
Scheffler’s menu was unveiled in March – a Southern-style feast that harks back to its Texan roots
For the main meal, guests could choose between a Texas Ribeye Steak or Blackened Redfish, with side dishes of family-style mac and cheese, jalapeno creamed corn, sauteed Brussels sprouts, and herbed fries.
For dessert, it’s a classic all-American choice of hot skillet cookie with chocolate chips, served with milk and cookie-flavored ice cream.
A speech to all guests is then a famous tradition for the dinner host, and Scheffler admitted that he expected to feel the weight of the occasion when addressing his colleagues and guests.
“I will definitely get emotional. I wish I didn’t, but I always do,” Scheffler said after Tuesday’s practice round. ‘I do not know what it is.
“The weight of everything hit me as I left the dressing room and they were getting ready for dinner. I was like, oh, boy, here it comes.”
Scheffler has previously spoken about his wife Meredith helping him design the menu for his big night.
He said last month: “My wife, Meredith, she’s very creative. She kind of helped me think through it because I’m not really good at that, so she helped me.
‘I’m not quite sure what to say that night. I didn’t really get much info.
During his speech on Tuesday, Scheffler (center) admitted that he would feel emotional over dinner
Scheffler’s guests were welcomed with cheeseburger sliders as an appetizer at Augusta
Scheffler revealed that his “very creative” wife Meredith (right) helped him with the menu choices
“I need to talk to some of the guys and find out what really happens that night because I still have no idea. I hope it will be a pleasant evening.’
The added layer of complexity for Scheffler is the LIV factor, but an effort has apparently been made to ease tensions between the two sets of players leading up to the tournament.
Rory McIlroy, who spoke of his “hate” in days gone by at seeing LIV players show up at DP World Tour events and had a public spat with Patrick Reed earlier this year, cooled down his rhetoric at his press conference on Tuesday.
“This tournament is much bigger than that,” McIlroy said. ‘It is a very nuanced situation and there is a different dynamic.
“It’s okay to hang out with Brooks (Kopeka) and DJ (Dustin Johnson) and maybe not hang out with some of the other guys who went there.
“Look, it’s a story and it’s a storyline, but the Masters and the four major championships rise above all that noise, and that’s how it should be this week.”
Aussie Cameron Smith, a defector from LIV last year, said he enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the PGA Tour at the driving range.
Scheffler won the Masters last year by three shots ahead of rival Rory McIlroy in Augusta
World No. 1 Scheffler is a favorite to win again this week – and so is rival McIlroy
On Monday, he said, “I spent some time at the beach today. It was good to see some familiar faces, lots of laughter, lots of handshakes. It was fun.
“I really didn’t know what to expect walking through the range, but it was good to see some familiar faces.”
Both McIlroy and Smith are winless and Augusta and thus not at Tuesday dinner.
McIlroy and Scheffler are the favorites for this week’s tournament, which could be hampered by thunderstorms in an unattractive Georgia weather forecast for one of the sport’s brightest weeks.
Scheffler beat McIlroy by three shots for the win last year. If McIlroy emerges victorious in Augusta this week, he will win his fifth Major and complete the grand slam.
Hosted by Ben Hogan in 1952 after his win last year, the first Masters Dinner has become an opportunity to ‘reminisce, exchange banter and relax’.
The conditions were that you had to be a former champion, wear your ‘green coat’ and arrive promptly at 7:15 pm.
It has since become a rite of passage for the reigning champion to select and pay for the menu and past winners have served a range of dishes from delicious to bland to bizarre.