Ranking the top ten traditions in The Masters Tournament history

There are exclusive dinners, and then there’s the Masters Champions’ Dinner. While every Masters champion will eventually reach a time at which they can’t really use their lifetime exemption into the competition anymore, this is essentially one of the world’s most exclusive fraternities.

While most of us know it as the Champions’ Dinner, on the grounds of Augusta National, it’s officially called the “Masters Club Dinner”. While the dinner got an unfortunate blast of negative publicity courtesy of Fuzzy Zoeller in 1997 (the “fried chicken” debacle), it remains a focal point of the week for observers around the world.

With a menu hand-picked by the previous year’s champion, we get an inside look at that player’s personality. Bubba Watson, for instance, has held the same dinner for both of his Masters wins. Caesar salad for the starter. Grilled chicken with green beans, corn, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for the entrée, and confetti cake with vanilla ice cream at dessert.

“It’s from my mom,” Watson said in 2015. “Home-cooked meal, and that’s why I do it.”

Jose Maria Olazabal had a tapas table in 2000, Tiger had sushi and prime Porterhouse in ’02, and Phil Mickelson has hosted three of the most luxurious meals from around the world you could imagine. Last year, Danny Willett hosted a traditional English supper. We’ll have to wait and see Sergio’s menu this year.

This party isn’t a rager, by any stretch. The defending champion gives a brief speech, and most of the rest of the night is spent listening to the “old guard” telling their stories. Oh, to be a fly on that wall. If Augusta allowed flies.