The Masters Champions Dinner has mythical status in golf, and two-time champion Scottie Scheffler has shared an insight into the yearly event at Augusta National
Scottie Scheffler spoke at length about the Masters Champions Dinner(Image: Getty Images)
Scottie Scheffler does not sit next to Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods at the Masters Champions Dinner because there is a protocol to the yearly meal’s seating arrangements. The two-time winner says there are no assigned places; instead, some golfers sit in sections, with Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson among those who stick together year after year.
Scheffler’s first experience of the event was in 2023, following his maiden success 12 months earlier. The American then won again at Augusta National in 2024. 2007 champion Johnson was the one whom Scheffler turned to for seating advice – as he doesn’t trust Spieth not to mess with him.
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Scheffler explained during a press conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a month out from this year’s Masters: “Zach and Jordan always sat next to each other, and I definitely didn’t ask Jordan to sit by him, because he would have done something to make sure that I didn’t have a place to sit!
“So I kind of looked at Zach, I was like, ‘Hey, where are you sitting this year?’ And he told me, and he was nice and let me join him. But I definitely wasn’t going to ask Jordan for that because he would have messed with me.”
Scottie Scheffler hosted his first Champions Dinner for 33 previous Masters winners in 2023(Image: @TheMasters/Twitter)
Asked about there being any protocol, Scheffler said: “There’s a little protocol. Guys have, like, I would say, sections where they sit. But you move around a little bit.
“There are no necessarily assigned seats, but I’m definitely not going to sit in the area where Tiger and Jack sit. Like, there are kinds of spots where you feel you’ll naturally flow into.”
Reflecting on his first time hosting in 2023, Scheffler recalled: “Yeah, I think definitely the first time around when you’re hosting the dinner, it’s your first time in that room, you don’t really know what to expect.
Scottie Scheffler is a two-time Masters champion(Image: REUTERS)
“I had no idea what it was going to be like. The only thing I really knew was where I was going to sit. That was basically the only thing I knew, sitting next to Mr Crenshaw and the chairman. So, yeah, I was definitely nervous. I’m not really a super social guy to begin with.
“I got there early, checked everything out, snuck Meredith up there, let her see, because she kind of helped me plan a lot of the food and all that. Obviously, I wanted her to see it, so I snuck her up the back, showed her everything before it got started.
Scheffler concluded: “It’s really cool to be in that room. You would always dream of being there.
“It’s always fun for me to get to see some of the champions that I don’t get to see regularly, so it’s always really fun just catching up with those guys, seeing what they’re like, kind of seeing what makes them tick, little stuff like that is always really fun.
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