ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky shared his one problem with Rory McIlroy’s 2026 Masters Champions Dinner menu during SportsCenter appearance
05:33 ET, 20 Mar 2026Updated 08:41 ET, 20 Mar 2026
Rory McIlroy has selected the controversial foie gras dish for his Masters Champions dinner.(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky highlighted one issue with career Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy’s 2026 Masters Champions Dinner menu.
During a Wednesday SportsCenter segment, NFL analyst Orlovsky admitted he’d only enjoy a single item from McIlroy’s elaborate and carefully curated menu. The self-proclaimed picky eater voiced his concerns about the selection, though fortunately for him, he won’t be receiving an invitation to attend.
“Here’s my problem with people in the food world,” Orlovsky told ESPN’s Kevin Neghandi. “Just make a good cheese pizza flatbread. It doesn’t have to be peaches and ricotta. I’ve got a lot of love for Rory. I’m a huge Rory fan. I love Rory. But peach and ricotta? Just give me a good cheese pizza!” Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson’s comment completely changed McIlroy’s opinion of the Masters.
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Interestingly, the Augusta National culinary team traveled to New York City to master the preparation of tuna carpaccio from three-Michelin-Star establishment Le Bernandin, whilst McIlroy’s mother is skilled in making the bacon-wrapped dates.
The Northern Irishman and career Grand Slam champion included 12 dishes on the menu, spanning from starters to dessert, featuring rock-shrimp tempura and a main course selection of filet mignon or seared salmon.
“I think it would be pretty presumptuous to have a menu in your head before you actually win the tournament,” McIlroy said during a Wednesday conference call.
“But I always thought about if I win the Masters one day, what would I want it to look like? What would I like to serve?” Only past Masters champions are invited to the dinner, with the menu creator footing the bill.
“No, it wasn’t put together off the top of my head. I tried to be pretty thoughtful with it,” McIlroy shared.
“I tried to incorporate some of the things that I like and some little personal touches along the way. But at the same time, trying to put together a good enough menu that everybody would enjoy.”
Dan Orlovsky revealed his one problem with Rory McIlroy’s Masters Champion’s dinner menu(Image: Getty Images)
The menu features peach-and-ricotta flatbread, grilled elk sliders, and sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce for dessert. The first course includes the luxurious yellowfin tuna carpaccio, which McIlroy described as simple but essential.
“It’s a really thin slice of French baguette with a really thin slice of foie gras on top of that and tuna carpaccio,” he explained.
“It’s a really simple dish, but every time we go to that restaurant (Le Bernardin), that’s the one thing that I have to have.”
There’s also a wine cellar, and McIlroy expressed his excitement about hosting for the first time.
“Can’t wait to host the dinner on Tuesday night,” McIlroy said. “And then obviously, be a part of that dinner for many, many years to come.”
It comes as McIlroy’s menu features a delicacy that could be prohibited in New York City.